MEDICAL WASTE CHARACTERIZATION

Disposal of medical waste has emerged as an important problem in this country. The public is increasingly aware of the threat of improper di sposal of medical waste, particularly waste contaminated with communic able disease agents. Given the general lack of knowledge about the com position of biohazardous waste and the large amount generated it is di fficult to assess strategies for waste reduction. The present work pre sents important results of medical waste characterization performed by dissection of red bags and actual hand separation. The remits of medi cal waste characterization at two large hospitals in the state of Flor ida show a substantial proportion of the waste being plastic and paper . The waste characterization data obtained were statistically analyzed using the t-test. In addition, front-end mass balance studies were do ne to estimate the amount likely to end up as red bag waste thus, conf irming the back-end studies which were performed by hand separation. T his methodology of waste characterization by direct back-end studies a nd indirect front-end confirmation may be applied to other hospitals. Plastic characterization was also carried our to differentiate between different types of plastic resins appearing in the waste stream.