Problems Connected With Palm Beach Bio-Hazardous Waste Disposal
In the United States, as well as the rest of the world, biohazardous wastes are defined as materials and substances that are toxic and can be a threat to human or animal health or to the environment.
About Biohazards
Health care facilities produce tons of waste per day during their work. Much of this waste falls into the category “biohazardous waste” due to the dangers it presents to the health of medical professionals, patients, visitors, medical waste handlers, community, or the environment.
Biohazards include chemicals that are radioactive, toxic, infectious or emit hazardous particle energy. Such wastes can, for example, include body fluids, blood and blood products, body parts, organs, tissue, used needles, scalpels, contaminated latex gloves, blood-soaked bed covers, animal carcases and more. Much of this waste includes not only biological agents that can be carriers of infection and disease, but also other toxins, like mercury.
Infectious wastes, such as blood, bodily fluids, body parts, organs are of particular concern as these often contain hazardous microorganisms that can cause a disease. These are called “pathogens”.
Another risk comes from air-borne bacteria. These can cause tuberculosis and MRSA (Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus). This is a dangerous staphylococcal infection.
In addition, when it comes to infectious waste, great care in bio-hazardous waste disposal should be given to one particular category of medical wastes – sharps waste. Sharps waste include used needles, syringes, scalpels, scissors, razor blades and other medical instruments and surgical tools used for lacerating or piercing during diagnoses, treatment, or research.
Amounts of Palm Beach Bio-Hazardous Waste
According to an article entitles “Health Care Without Harm”:
“Hospitals generate more than two million tons of waste each year.”
Another report, however, from a somewhat “higher” source – the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), puts the amount of yearly generated medical waste at 4.5 million tons,
This does not only come from hospitals, but also from clinics, dentist’s offices, nursery homes, emergency clinics, veterinary clinics, ambulance vehicles, blood banks, research laboratories, medical universities and other health care facilities. Even individuals produce a certain (definitively not negligible) amount of medical wastes (especially needles and syringes).
Problems With Bio-Hazardous Waste Disposal
Main bio-hazardous waste disposal methods are:
• Incineration
• Bio-remedation
• Sanitary landfills
• Injection wells
Incineration offers the benefit of reducing the amount of medical waste, but it causes serious pollution problems. In addition, the costs of this bio-hazardous waste disposal are high and there is still a need to dispose of hazardous ashes.
With bio-remedation, biohazards are converted into non-biohazards. This is accomplished using microorganisms . However, this bio-hazardous medical waste disposal method takes a long time to complete and it can be difficult to fully control the natural degradation, making bio-remedation a poor choice when medical waste is concerned.
On the first look, landfills are the easiest choice for bio-hazardous waste removal. However, the setback here is the pollution and the possibility of contaminating the water. In addition, medical waste should not be sent to a municipal landfill, but one designated for this purpose.
Injection wells method basically involves pushing the waste deep into the earth. However, the problem here is that this can cause water pollution.
Final Thoughts
With the amounts of biohazardous waste produced each year easily going over 4,000 tons, the concern is great indeed. However, with appropriate Palm Beach bio-hazardous waste disposal methods, the risks can be not only limited, but also completely avoided, for the people and the environment.