Various Technologies in Healthcare Waste Management and Disposal

Document Type

Contribution to Books

Publication Date

2023

Publication Title

Waste Treatment in the Biotechnology, Agricultural and Food Industries, Vol. 2

Abstract

The healthcare waste (HCW) generation kept increasing over these few years due to people beginning to conceive of the importance of health. The sudden increase in HCW due to the high usage of personal protective equipment such as face masks, face shields, and gloves during the Covid-19 outbreak resulted in the current HCW management in stress conditions in developing countries. The waste generation rate is based on the number of Covid-19 cases reported in the country. HCW can be categorized into a few types, such as infectious waste, sharp waste, chemical waste, pharmaceutical waste, and nonhazardous waste. Hazardous waste is commonly found in HCWs because it consists of harmful microorganisms which will bring danger to the environment and human health; thus, proper methods for handling HCW must be concerned, and segregation of HCW must be implemented. The selection of HCW treatment methods must be considered to reduce the negative impact on the environment and humans. Due to the significant increase of HCWs during the Covid-19 outbreak, the emergency disposal method needs to be considered to overcome the overloaded of HCWs in the treatment facilities. The co-disposal method can be considered to treat HCW, but this method is only allowed during the emergency period. Many countries discovered that there is a lack of awareness and poor regulations on HCW management. Thus, the laws and regulations on HCW management must be enforced.

DOI

10.1007/978-3-031-44768-6_10

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