High-income countries produce up to almost 11 kg of hazardous waste per hospital bed per day (kg/bed/day), while in low-income countries the production rate ranges up to 6 kg. The majority of HCW generators are hospitals, medical centers, laboratories, veterinary clinics, research centers, mortuaries, blood banks and nursing homes. The remaining 15% are hazardous materials, which are infectious, radioactive or toxic ( Figure 1). A total of 85% of the total amount of waste generated as a result of healthcare activities is non-hazardous. It is estimated that HCWs constitute approx. HCW is defined as all types of waste generated from HCFs, whether it is a hazardous or harmless material, and whether it is infectious or non-infectious in nature or a chemical. There are several other terms such as medical waste, biomedical waste, clinical waste or health facility waste. The most common term used to describe waste generated by HCFs is healthcare waste (HCW). Healthcare facilities (HCFs) are the main healthcare waste producers. The aim of this paper is to present a general overwiev of medical waste, its categories, the principles of its management and the risks to human health and the environment resulting from inappropriate waste management. To minimize health risks, it is also important to build awareness among health professionals and the general public through various communication and educational methods. In order to reduce the negative impact of medical waste, waste management principles should be formulated. Open burning or incinerator malfunctioning will result in the emission of toxic substances, such as dioxins and furans, into the air. Disposing of medical waste in a landfill without segregation and processing will result in the entry of harmful microorganisms, chemicals or pharmaceuticals into soil and groundwater, causing their contamination. What is more, sharps injuries increase the risk of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV/HCV), tuberculosis (TB), diphtheria, malaria, syphilis, brucellosis and other transmissions. However, if safety precautions are not followed, and needles and syringes are not properly disposed of, the risk of sharps injuries increases among medical staff, waste handlers and waste collectors. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around 16 billion injections are administered worldwide each year. The most common medical procedure, which pose the highest risk, is injection (i.e, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intravenous, taking blood samples). Healthcare personnel are the specialists especially exposed to this risk. HCW contains potentially harmful microorganisms that can be spread among healthcare personnel, hospital patients and the general public, causing serious illnesses. Hazardous waste is a special type of waste which, if not properly treated, can pose a risk to human health and to the environment. It is estimated that 15% of the total amount of produced HCW is hazardous and can be infectious, toxic or radioactive. It has been assessed that the majority of medical waste does not pose a risk to humans. Healthcare waste (HCW) is generated in different healthcare facilities (HCFs), such as hospitals, laboratories, veterinary clinics, research centres and nursing homes.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |