L. Liberti et al., OPTIMIZATION OF INFECTIOUS HOSPITAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ITALY .1. WASTES PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION STUDY, Waste management and research, 12(5), 1994, pp. 373-385
A two-year R&D project dealing with the study, design, prototype plant
development and operation of an integrated management system of infec
tious hospital wastes (IHW) has been recently performed by CO.PR.AM.,
an Italian industrial consortium. The project was concerned with the c
haracterization, handling (collection, storage, transportation) and in
cineration of IHW produced by a large sanitary district (three hospita
ls, 191 different clinics, 40 laboratories, and a total of 2500 bedspa
ces) and permitted researchers to analyse in detail each major aspect
of IHW disposal such as production handling and treatment in order to
devise an optimal solution to their overall management. This paper dea
ls with the sources of IHW production and the characterization of its
individual components. Subsequent papers shall detail heavy metals con
tent and other chemical characteristics of IHW, as well as environment
al releases (i.e. atmospheric emissions, fly and bottom ashes) during
incineration.