BIO-MEDICAL WASTE

According to Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 of India “Any waste which is generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or in research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biological Inadequate Bio-Medical waste management thus will cause environmental pollution, unpleasant smell, growth and multiplication of vectors like insects, rodents and worms and may lead to the transmission of diseases like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and AIDS through injuries from syringes and needles contaminated with human.

Various communicable diseases, which spread through water, sweat, blood, body fluids and contaminated organs, are important to be prevented.

Biomedical Waste Treatment and Disposal

Incineration Technology: This is a high temperature thermal process employing combustion of the waste under controlled condition for converting them into inert material and gases

Autoclaving: The autoclave operates on the principle of the standard pressure cooker. The process involves using steam at high temperatures.

Microwave Irradiation: The microwave is based on the principle of generation of high frequency waves. These waves cause the particles within the waste material to vibrate, generating heat. This heat generated from within kills all pathogens.

Inadequate Bio-Medical waste management thus will cause environmental pollution, unpleasant smell, growth and multiplication of vectors like insects, rodents and worms and may lead to the transmission of diseases like typhoid, cholera, hepatitis and AIDS through injuries from syringes and needles contaminated with human.

Various communicable diseases, which spread through water, sweat, blood, body fluids and contaminated organs, are important to be prevented.

Biomedical Waste Treatment and Disposal

Incineration Technology: This is a high temperature thermal process employing combustion of the waste under controlled condition for converting them into inert material and gases

Autoclaving: The autoclave operates on the principle of the standard pressure cooker. The process involves using steam at high temperatures.

Chemical Methods: 1 % hypochlorite solution can be used for chemical disinfection

Plasma Pyrolysis: Plasma pyrolysis is a state-of-the-art technology for safe disposal of medical waste. It is an environment-friendly technology, which converts organic waste into commercially useful byproducts. The intense heat generated by the plasma enables it to dispose all types of waste including municipal solid waste, biomedical waste and hazardous waste in a safe and reliable manner. Medical waste is pyrolysed into CO, H2, and hydrocarbons when it comes in contact with the plasma-arc. These gases are burned and produce a high temperature (around 1200oC).9

Safe disposal of biomedical waste is now a legal requirement in India. The Biomedical Waste. This waste is categorized into six categories and each category has specific color coding for purpose of transport and storage.

Biomedical Waste(Management) Rules, 2016: Highlights

Health care facilities (HCFs) must segregate biomedical waste (the wastes involved in diagnosis, treatment and immunisation such as human and animal anatomical waste, treatment apparatus such as needles and syringes and cytotoxic drugs) at the individual level in colored bags—yellow, red, blue/white and black according to the category of the biomedical waste.

Training to all healthcare workers and immunization of all health workers regularly.

The HCF is now responsible for pre-treatment of laboratory and microbiological waste, blood samples and blood bags through disinfection/sterilisation on-site in the manner prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO) or National Aids Control Organisation (NACO), regardless of whether final treatment and disposal happens on-site or at a common biomedical waste treatment facility.

Use of chlorinated plastic bags, gloves and blood bags is to be phased out by the HCF within two years to eliminate emission of dioxins and furans from burning of such wastes.

The new rules also call for a bar code system for bags/containers containing biomedical waste and immunisation of health workers upon their induction and after every one year interval.

The Department dealing with allocation of land in the state government shall provide land for setting up a common biomedical waste treatment and disposal facility but no occupier of an HCF shall establish an on-site treatment and disposal facility if a common biomedical waste treatment facility (CBMWF)is available within 75 km.

Training to all healthcare workers and immunization of all health workers regularly.

Vermicomposting (Vermiculture)

Scientific research has shown that chemical fertilizer has some limitations in agriculture production, soil health maintenance.

So, they moved towards other alternative organic matter recycling which proved a useful tool in this direction. This technique not only solved problem of waste disposal by recycling but also improved soil health by humus content in it.

Initially, vermiculture i.e. use of surface living earthworms was carried out in this direction.

Vermicomposting is the process by which we can convert organic waste into rich humus by using red earthworms. After a worm ingests organic matter, the matter undergoes a change and becomes a rich plant food.

Through the simple act of eating, earthworms, promote bacterial growth, enhance soil structure and hasten the decomposition of organic matter.

Earthworms on the basis of their feeding pattern can be divided into two groups i.e. humus formers and humus feeders. The first which are red in colour feed organic matter and are harnessed for vermicomposting. These can also called epigeic worms. These are found on surface.

The second groups the humus feeders, are deep burrowing worms that are useful in making the soil porous and mixing and distributing humus through the soil.