Infectious Waste Disposal

While all clinical waste must be properly managed and disposed of, infectious medical waste can be a particularly complex waste stream because of the risks it poses to those who may be exposed to it.

Infectious medical waste is usually generated during human and animal health activities. According to the World Health Organization, up to 15% of clinical waste is considered hazardous material that may be infectious, toxic or radioactive.

Anything infectious or potentially infectious falls into this category, including swabs, tissue, excreta, equipment and laboratory cultures.

Infectious medical wastes include:

1. Articles contaminated with patient’s blood, body fluids or excreta.

2. Household garbage generated by patients with isolated infectious diseases or suspected infectious diseases admitted to medical institutions.

3. Culture medium, specimen and preservation solution of pathogen species and virus species.

4. Various discarded medical specimens.

5. Discarded blood and serum.

6. Disposable medical articles and devices after use shall be regarded as infectious waste.

Infectious waste is found in medical Settings such as hospitals, doctors’ offices, dental clinics, research laboratories and veterinary clinics. If not managed properly, infectious waste can pose serious health risks to healthcare workers, hospital patients, waste managers, the public and even the environment.

A variety of treatment options are available for the treatment and disposal of infectious waste. Infectious Waste Incinerator is the preferred method for treating large amounts of infectious wastes. And autoclave steam in autoclave is an appropriate process for processing soft infectious waste.