Page 124 - Energy from Toxic Organic Waste for Heat and Power Generation

106 Energy from Toxic Organic Waste for Heat and Power Generation

minor and scattered sources, including waste produced in the course of
health-care undertaken in the home (e.g., home dialysis, self-administration
of insulin, recuperative care).
Between 75% and 90% of the waste produced by health-care providers
is comparable to domestic waste and usually called “nonhazardous” or “gen-
eral health-care waste.” It comes mostly from the administrative, kitchen,
and housekeeping functions at health-care facilities and may also include
packaging waste and waste generated during maintenance of health-care
buildings. The remaining 10%–25% of health-care waste is regarded as “haz-
ardous” and may pose a variety of environmental and health risks.
Infectious waste may contain any of a great variety of pathogenic micro-
organisms. Pathogens in infectious waste may enter the human body by a
number of routes: through a puncture, abrasion, or cut in the skin; through
the mucous membranes; by inhalation; by ingestion. The body fluids are the
usual vehicles of transmission.
There is particular concern about infection with human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV) and hepatitis viruses B and C, for which there is strong evidence
of transmission via health-care waste. These viruses are generally transmitted
through injuries from syringe needles contaminated by human blood.
The existence in health-care establishments of bacteria resistant to
antibiotics and chemical disinfectants may also contribute to the hazards
created by poorly managed health-care waste. It has been demonstrated,
for example, that plasmids from laboratory strains contained in health-care
waste were transferred to indigenous bacteria via the waste disposal system.
Moreover, antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli have been shown to survive
in an activated sludge plant, although there does not seem to be significant
transfer of this organism under normal conditions of wastewater disposal
and treatment.

8.4 MINIMIZATION, RECYCLING

The reduction of waste generation must be encouraged by the following
practices:
• Reducing the amount of waste at source
− Choosing products that generate less waste: less wrapping material,
for example.
− Choosing suppliers who take back empty containers for refill-
ing (cleaning products); returning gas cylinders to the supplier for
refilling.