Biomedical Waste Management

Syllabus: GS3/Environment Pollution and Degradation

Context

Mishandling of biomedical waste still poses risks, particularly in resource-limited settings.

It refers to any waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of humans or animals, or in related research activities.
This waste is often contaminated with potentially infectious materials and can pose a significant risk to public health and the environment if not managed properly.
Bio Medical waste consists of:
- Human anatomical waste like tissues, organs and body parts;
- Animal wastes generated during research from veterinary hospitals;
- Microbiology and biotechnology wastes;
- Waste sharps like hypodermic needles, syringes, scalpels and broken glass;
- Discarded medicines and cytotoxic drugs;
- Soiled waste such as dressing, bandages, plaster casts, material contaminated with blood, tubes and catheters;
- Liquid waste from any of the infected areas;
- Incineration ash and other chemical wastes.
Concerns:
- Biomedical waste can carry various health risks, including the transmission of diseases like HIV, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and other infectious diseases.
- If not disposed of properly, it can contribute to environmental contamination.

It involves collection, segregation, treatment, and disposal.
- Autoclaving: Sterilizing the waste using steam and pressure.
- Incineration: Burning the waste at high temperatures.
- Chemical disinfection: Using chemicals to neutralize pathogens.
- Land disposal: For non-hazardous waste after proper treatment.

India generates around 700 Tonne per day (TPD) of biomedical waste approximately and about 640 TPD is treated.
India has a combined treatment capacity of 1,590 TPD.
Despite having a surplus capacity, 20 states are still using captive treatment measures and deep pit burials for disposal.

It provides a framework for the management of biomedical waste (BMW) generated from healthcare facilities and other related sources.

Segregation and Storage: BMW must be segregated at the point of generation into different categories (e.g., infectious, hazardous, non-hazardous, etc.).
- Waste should be stored in color-coded bins and containers, as per the prescribed categories.
Categories of Biomedical Waste: It defines seven categories of biomedical waste (e.g., human tissues, sharps, discarded medicines, body fluids, and microbiological waste) and specify color coding for disposal:
- Yellow: Infectious waste (e.g., contaminated items, body parts).
- Red: Contaminated plastic items.
- Blue: Glassware (e.g., bottles, vials).
- White: Sharps (e.g., needles, scalpels).
- Black: General waste (e.g., paper, plastic).
Treatment and Disposal: Waste disposal should be done in compliance with the guidelines set by the rules, ensuring that it does not pose harm to public health or the environment.
Authorization and Record-Keeping: All healthcare facilities must obtain authorization from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) for handling and disposing of biomedical waste.
- Proper record-keeping of the quantity, treatment, and disposal of biomedical waste is required.
Waste Disposal by Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facilities (CBWTF): Healthcare establishments can send their biomedical waste to a Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility (CBWTF) for treatment and disposal.
Key Amendments (2021): The rules introduced an extended timeline for compliance with waste management norms.

India’s biomedical waste management market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 7-8%.
The quantum of waste generated is expected to be troublesome if the gaps and leakages are not managed.
All SPCBs need to conduct the gap analysis to estimate the leakages and use their discretion, so newer CBWTFs can be constructed and their operational radius can be determined.
All stakeholders from the user to the occupier to the processors need to be tracked so any premeditated leakages can be avoided.

Source: TH

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