Medical waste requires some care to dispose of it properly. The main problem in dealing with medical waste is the risk of infection. Pathological waste can contain dangerous and contagious infectious agents, as can laboratory cultures. Sharp objects (sharp objects such as scissors and injections) if not administered correctly can introduce harmful agents directly into the bloodstream.
Hazardous waste is a category unto itself, but it can overlap with medical waste. I mean that a waste can be medical and dangerous at the same time. Such hazardous medical wastes contain highly toxic compounds like those used in chemotherapy and are therefore subject to special regulations under federal law.
Below I will describe two ways that waste should be dealt with.
Incineration
Incineration refers to the act of burning hazardous medical waste. The three main types of incinerators used are controlled air, excess air, and the rotary kiln.
However, controlled air incineration is the most widely used medical waste incineration (MWI) technology and now dominates the market for new systems in hospitals and similar medical facilities.
Thermal processes
Processes that rely on heat, that is, thermal energy to destroy pathogens in the waste, are called thermal processes. This category is further subdivided into low heat, medium heat and high heat thermal processes. This additional division is necessary because the physical and chemical reactions that take place in thermal processes change dramatically at different temperatures.
Low-heat thermal processes are those that use thermal energy to decontaminate waste at temperatures that are insufficient to cause chemical degradation or to promote combustion. In general, low heat thermal technologies operate between 200 F and about 350 F (93 C to 177 C).
Medium heat thermal processes take place at temperatures between 350 F to 700 F (177 C to 370 C) and involve the chemical decomposition of organic material. These processes are the basis for relatively new technologies.
High-temperature thermal processes generally operate at temperatures ranging from around 1,000 F to 15,000 F (540 C to 8,300 C). This intense heat is provided by electrical resistance, induction, natural gas, and / or plasma energy.
Waste that is considered medical waste and hazardous waste, that is, hazardous medical waste, can be particularly difficult to deal with, as most service providers dealing with medical waste treatment and disposal are unwilling to accept waste. dangerous and vice versa.
So it makes sense to hire a good medical waste disposal company that deals with hazardous medical waste. They will take care of everything for you.