246
J. R. S. Selvan Christyraj et al.
and inertization. Increase in population increases the generation of biomedical waste.
Hospitals in metropolitan cities especially government run hospitals have become a
matter of great concern as the biomedical waste produced is dumped alongside city
garbage and not managed properly and appropriately. According to Mohankumar
and Kottaiveeran [21], India has 6 lakh hospital beds in 23,000 (primary healthcare
units) and 15,000 (private and small hospitals), majority of which fail to follow the
Bio-Medical Waste Rule 1998 which is mandatory for every hospital and hence we
are facing challenging conditions due to the improper management of pathological
wastes.
Hospitals safeguard human life however the biomedical waste generated causes
countless damage to the environment as it is not managed properly. This improper
management of biomedical waste upsurges the airborne pathogenic infectious organisms, which also affects the hospital environment and society. The most affected
people are healthcare workers, patients, scavengers, members of the public, visitors of
health care establishment workers at waste disposal facilities [22]. Researchers have
found that about 82% (primary), 60% (secondary) and 54% (tertiary) health care facilities (HCFs) across 20 states in India had no sustainable biomedical waste management systems (INCLEN Program Evaluation Network et al. [23]. Despite India, being
continuously taking vital steps for the safe disposal of Bio-Medical Waste, in 2009
around 240 people contacted hepatitis B due to the usage of unsterilized syringes in
Gujarat [24].
10.3.4 Exposure and Emission of Toxic Gases During
Incineration
As per the regulations all biomedical waste should be treated within 48 h and hence
every hospital and other HCFs generating bio-medical waste is required to set up
proper BMW treatment facilities to ensure proper treatment of waste. Incineration
in a widely used and the most popular method of disposing majority of hazardous
medical waste. However open burning or burning of medical waste in incinerator
emits harmful and toxic gases such as black smoke, toxic flue gas, fly ash, and odors
which lead to atmospheric pollution causing respiratory and skin disease or even
cancer. US Environmental agency has found that medical waste was the third main
source of dioxin emission and 10% of mercury emission. Burning of medical waste
such as plastic materials which are generated from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products
is the major producer of dioxin [25].
Incineration of materials and heavy metals containing chlorine, mercury, lead and
cadmium in particular generate dioxin and furan and can lead to the evolution of toxic
metals in the environment. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
recognized dioxin cancer causing potential and regarded as human carcinogen.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic chemical development which cause cancer, immune
J. R. S. Selvan Christyraj et al.
and inertization. Increase in population increases the generation of biomedical waste.
Hospitals in metropolitan cities especially government run hospitals have become a
matter of great concern as the biomedical waste produced is dumped alongside city
garbage and not managed properly and appropriately. According to Mohankumar
and Kottaiveeran [21], India has 6 lakh hospital beds in 23,000 (primary healthcare
units) and 15,000 (private and small hospitals), majority of which fail to follow the
Bio-Medical Waste Rule 1998 which is mandatory for every hospital and hence we
are facing challenging conditions due to the improper management of pathological
wastes.
Hospitals safeguard human life however the biomedical waste generated causes
countless damage to the environment as it is not managed properly. This improper
management of biomedical waste upsurges the airborne pathogenic infectious organisms, which also affects the hospital environment and society. The most affected
people are healthcare workers, patients, scavengers, members of the public, visitors of
health care establishment workers at waste disposal facilities [22]. Researchers have
found that about 82% (primary), 60% (secondary) and 54% (tertiary) health care facilities (HCFs) across 20 states in India had no sustainable biomedical waste management systems (INCLEN Program Evaluation Network et al. [23]. Despite India, being
continuously taking vital steps for the safe disposal of Bio-Medical Waste, in 2009
around 240 people contacted hepatitis B due to the usage of unsterilized syringes in
Gujarat [24].
10.3.4 Exposure and Emission of Toxic Gases During
Incineration
As per the regulations all biomedical waste should be treated within 48 h and hence
every hospital and other HCFs generating bio-medical waste is required to set up
proper BMW treatment facilities to ensure proper treatment of waste. Incineration
in a widely used and the most popular method of disposing majority of hazardous
medical waste. However open burning or burning of medical waste in incinerator
emits harmful and toxic gases such as black smoke, toxic flue gas, fly ash, and odors
which lead to atmospheric pollution causing respiratory and skin disease or even
cancer. US Environmental agency has found that medical waste was the third main
source of dioxin emission and 10% of mercury emission. Burning of medical waste
such as plastic materials which are generated from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) products
is the major producer of dioxin [25].
Incineration of materials and heavy metals containing chlorine, mercury, lead and
cadmium in particular generate dioxin and furan and can lead to the evolution of toxic
metals in the environment. International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
recognized dioxin cancer causing potential and regarded as human carcinogen.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic chemical development which cause cancer, immune