Hospital waste: what types and how to dispose of it
Have you ever thought about the environmental problems caused by incorrect disposal of hospital waste?
Gerd Altmann image by Pixabay
Hospital waste, also called hospital waste and healthcare waste, is any type of waste arising from patient care or from any health establishment or unit that performs activities of a medical care nature, both for human beings and for animals. This type of waste can also be found in places such as research centers and pharmacology laboratories. Whatever its origin or type, the disposal of hospital waste must be done following specific rules that avoid environmental contamination.
Hospital waste can pose a risk to human health and the environment if adequate technical procedures are not adopted in handling the different types of waste generated. Some examples of medical waste are biological materials contaminated with blood or pathogens, anatomical parts, syringes and other plastic materials; in addition to a wide variety of toxic, flammable and even radioactive substances.
The National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) established national rules on the packaging and treatment of hospital waste generated - from origin to destination (grounding, radiation and incineration). These disposal rules must be followed by hospitals, clinics, offices, laboratories, morgues and other healthcare facilities. The objective of the measure is to prevent damage to the environment and prevent accidents that affect professionals who work directly in the processes of selective collection of hospital waste, as well as in the storage, transport, treatment and disposal of this waste.
Types of medical waste
According to RDC Resolution No. 33/03, medical waste is classified as:- Group A (potentially infective) - that have the presence of biological agents that present a risk of infection. E.g.: contaminated blood bags;
- Group B (chemicals) - containing chemical substances capable of causing a risk to health or the environment, regardless of their flammable characteristics, corrosivity, reactivity and toxicity. For example, drugs for cancer treatment, laboratory reagents and substances for developing X-ray films;
- Group C (radioactive waste) - materials that contain radioactivity in a charge above the standard and that cannot be reused, such as nuclear medicine tests;
- Group D (common waste) - any medical waste that has not been contaminated or may cause accidents, such as plaster, gloves, gases, recyclable materials and paper;
- Group E (sharps) - objects and instruments that can pierce or cut, such as blades, scalpels, needles and glass ampoules.
Environmental risk of hospital waste
According to a study carried out by the Hospital Albert Einstein, the greatest environmental risk of hospital waste is represented by the so-called infectious waste. It is characterized by the presence of biological agents such as blood and derivatives, human secretions and excretions, tissues, parts of organs, anatomical parts; in addition to waste from analysis and microbiology laboratories, isolation areas, intensive care, inpatient units, as well as sharp materials.
Once these materials come into contact with soil or water, they can cause serious contamination in the environment and damage to vegetation. There can also be serious problems if these contaminated materials come into contact with rivers, lakes or even groundwater, as this way the contamination will spread more easily, harming any living being that comes in contact with this water.
Perforating waste, contaminated with pathogens or infectious, when disposed of incorrectly in common landfills, poses a great risk to garbage collectors. Individuals can be contaminated if they come into contact with any of these materials.
Disposal of hospital waste
Sterilization? Incineration?
Also according to the study carried out by Hospital Albert Einstein, infectious waste must be separated from the rest of hospital waste, and training employees for this function is a requirement of the National Council for the Environment in Brazil. However, the effective separation and disposal of this type of waste by thousands of Brazilian hospitals, as well as by most hospitals in the world, is unknown. One of the practices used is the incineration of infectious hospital waste, but this generates the release of ash contaminated with substances that are harmful to the atmosphere, such as dioxins and heavy metals, which increase air pollution. The process generates emissions that can be more toxic than incinerated products.
Sterilization, rather than incineration, is a valid and important alternative. However, its high cost makes it little used. Placing this garbage in aseptic ditches is considered an equally valid option, but the space required for this and proper inspection limit its use. Unfortunately, most hospitals dispose of medical waste without properly separating this waste.
Anvisa developed the Health Service Waste Management Plan (PGRSS), a document that points out and describes actions related to solid waste management, observing its characteristics. It includes aspects related to generation, segregation, conditioning, collection, storage, transport, treatment and final disposal, as well as the protection of public health and the environment.
How can drug users help?
As well as the disposal of hospital waste, medicines and health items that we use on a daily basis cannot be thrown away in the common garbage. So how should we dispose of the pills and medicines we use at home that we no longer need or that are expired?
We must take these drugs to the appropriate collection points. They can be found in some pharmacies and supermarkets. In this way, we avoid disposing of these medications in common garbage, which in many cases ends up in landfills. Medication packages must also be disposed of correctly, to avoid contamination of water bodies and the environment as a whole. To find out where to dispose of medicines and other items, check out the disposal stations closest to you on the free search engine at eCycle portal.
