Chapter 10
Impact of Biomedical Waste
Management System on Infection
Control in the Midst of COVID-19
Pandemic
Johnson Retnaraj Samuel Selvan Christyraj,
Jackson Durairaj Selvan Christyraj, Prasannan Adhimoorthy,
Kamarajan Rajagopalan, and J. Nimita Jebaranjitham
Abstract The emergence of modern medicinal practices and diagnosis process has
resulted in health risks and threat to the environment, and thus it is a matter of
global concern. However, the improper waste management rules adopted in healthcare hospitals around the world cause a potential health impact to ecosystem which
generates contagious and deadly diseases affected by human beings. In this chapter,
an attempt is made to investigate an overview of biomedical waste management practices in healthcare facilities in India as well as around the world. This chapter intends
to provide the origin and types of biomedical waste, requirement of waste management rules and containment in hospitals and research centres and followed by the
safe disposal of wastes which are unaffected to the environment. More emphasis was
given to the biomedical health risks, handling and disposal methodologies adopted
by different countries and the steps taken to eradicate the infections caused due to
COVID-19 pandemic in much reliable ways.
Keywords Biomedical waste management · Incinerator · COVID-19 · Infection
control · Health risks · Segregation of wastes · Colour codes for wastes ·
Treatment of waste · Disposal methods
Authors Dr.Jackson Durairaj and Dr. Johnson Retnaraj Samuel have contributed equally.
J. R. S. Selvan Christyraj · J. D. Selvan Christyraj · K. Rajagopalan
Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology Lab, Centre for Molecular and Nanomedical Sciences,
International Research Centre, Sathyabama Institute of Science & Technology (Deemed to be
University), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
P. Adhimoorthy
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and
Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
e-mail: adhiprasannan@gmail.com
J. Nimita Jebaranjitham (B)
PG Department of Chemistry, Women’s Christian College (An Autonomous Institution Affiliated
to the University of Madras), College Road, Chennai 600006, Tamil Nadu, India
e-mail: nimita.jr@gmail.com
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Chakraborty et al. (eds.), The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Green Societies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66490-9_10
235
Impact of Biomedical Waste
Management System on Infection
Control in the Midst of COVID-19
Pandemic
Johnson Retnaraj Samuel Selvan Christyraj,
Jackson Durairaj Selvan Christyraj, Prasannan Adhimoorthy,
Kamarajan Rajagopalan, and J. Nimita Jebaranjitham
Abstract The emergence of modern medicinal practices and diagnosis process has
resulted in health risks and threat to the environment, and thus it is a matter of
global concern. However, the improper waste management rules adopted in healthcare hospitals around the world cause a potential health impact to ecosystem which
generates contagious and deadly diseases affected by human beings. In this chapter,
an attempt is made to investigate an overview of biomedical waste management practices in healthcare facilities in India as well as around the world. This chapter intends
to provide the origin and types of biomedical waste, requirement of waste management rules and containment in hospitals and research centres and followed by the
safe disposal of wastes which are unaffected to the environment. More emphasis was
given to the biomedical health risks, handling and disposal methodologies adopted
by different countries and the steps taken to eradicate the infections caused due to
COVID-19 pandemic in much reliable ways.
Keywords Biomedical waste management · Incinerator · COVID-19 · Infection
control · Health risks · Segregation of wastes · Colour codes for wastes ·
Treatment of waste · Disposal methods
Authors Dr.Jackson Durairaj and Dr. Johnson Retnaraj Samuel have contributed equally.
J. R. S. Selvan Christyraj · J. D. Selvan Christyraj · K. Rajagopalan
Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology Lab, Centre for Molecular and Nanomedical Sciences,
International Research Centre, Sathyabama Institute of Science & Technology (Deemed to be
University), Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
P. Adhimoorthy
Department of Materials Science & Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and
Technology, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
e-mail: adhiprasannan@gmail.com
J. Nimita Jebaranjitham (B)
PG Department of Chemistry, Women’s Christian College (An Autonomous Institution Affiliated
to the University of Madras), College Road, Chennai 600006, Tamil Nadu, India
e-mail: nimita.jr@gmail.com
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
C. Chakraborty et al. (eds.), The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Green Societies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66490-9_10
235