Types of biological wastes

1. Safety and biosecurity
Lecture 7:-Types of biological wastes
Dr. Raghda Saad Mohammed

2. Biohazardous waste
Biohazardous waste defines as infectious or physically
dangerous medical or biological waste that because of
its characteristics may cause, or significantly
contribute to, an increase in mortality or pose a
substantial present potential hazard to human health or
the environment when improperly treated, stored,
transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.

3. Biohazardous waste
Some examples of this include glassware, Petri dishes,
and bandages. Other examples are gloves and
discarded sharp implements like scalpels and needles.
It also includes organic material left on swabs and
tissue.

4. Types of biohazardous medical waste
There are five types of biohazardous medical waste:
1. Solid Biohazardous Waste
Solid biohazardous waste is any non-sharp material that
contacts human or animal specimens. These materials include
personal protective equipment (PPE), Petri dishes, towels,
linens, and pipettes.
You manage sharps (like scalpels and needles) separate from
other items, including any other items that break easily. For
example, blood vials and other glass objects become sharp
when broken.

5. How to Dispose of Solid Waste
Healthcare professionals should collect solid waste in a
designated container lined by a bag.
Personnel should mark the bag with the biohazard symbol.
Personnel decontaminates the solid waste can on site by
autoclaving. They then dispose of it as regular medical
waste, sending it to a pre-approved landfill.
If personnel does not decontaminate onsite, then a waste
management company collects it. The waste management
company will then dispose of it according to regulation.

6. 2. Liquid Biohazardous Waste
 Liquid medical waste is body fluids or blood that may contain
an infectious agent. If the liquid is in an amount less than 25
milliliters, healthcare personnel can dispose of it as solid
waste.

7. How to Dispose of Liquid Waste
Healthcare personnel must collect any liquid biohazardous waste in
leak-proof containers. They must secure the container so it doesn’t tip
over and label the container as a biohazard.
For extra security, personnel can place the liquid containers in a
secondary container, like a tray or bucket.
Personnel can dispose of most liquid waste by treating it with bleach
or they can autoclave it as a liquid biohazard. An exception is a liquid
that contains body fluid and chemical waste.
Personnel should contact their medical waste disposal provider about
that. The provider can provide disposal recommendations and services.

8. 3. Sharp Biohazardous Waste
Sharp biohazardous medical waste is “sharps.” It is any medical
device that could be infectious and is sharp enough to puncture
the skin. If it can puncture the skin, it can also puncture a plastic
bag.
Sharps include items like needles, microscope slides, scalpels,
and broken glass vials. Any of these may contain biohazardous
material.

9. The healthcare industry has designated specific containers for collecting
sharps. These containers are resistant to puncture, leak-proof, and safe to
handle.
Personnel should collect all sharps in these special containers. It doesn’t matter
what material is in them. They should label the sharps containers with the
correct symbol to identify them.
Plastic serum pipettes aren’t sharp enough to puncture the skin, but they can
poke through plastic bags. Personnel should manage them as sharps.
How to Dispose of Sharp Waste

10. 4. Pathological Biohazardous Waste
 Pathological waste includes any removed animal or
human organs, tissues, and body parts. Any of these
may contain infectious agents.
 Waste materials from a biopsy procedure fall into this
category. Another example is anatomical parts that
personnel removed during autopsies or surgeries.

11. How to Dispose of Pathological Waste
 Healthcare personnel should double-bag pathological
waste to prevent leaks. Personnel should then store it
in a secondary container as they would liquid waste.
 From there, they dispose of it by incineration or other
chemical treatment. Autoclaving is not appropriate for
pathological waste.

12. 5. Microbiological Waste
 Microbiological waste is most common in laboratories. Examples are
disposable culture dishes and specimen cultures. Other examples include
discarded viruses and devices that technicians use to mix cultures.
 Microbiological waste contains infectious agents, microorganisms, and
biologicals. This category includes discarded causal agents created by
biological and antibiotics production.
 These wastes may contain pathogenic organisms. Finally, microbiological
waste comes from clinical or research procedures involving communicable
infectious agents.

13. How to Dispose of Microbiological Waste
 Many hospitals autoclave their microbiological
wastes. Then they take them to the waste storage area.
Personnel treats them onsite depending on what other
category the waste falls.
 For example, if it’s a sharps waste, then personnel
places it in to the designated container. The same
protocol applies for solid or liquid waste.

14. Thanks for
your
attention
9/17/2022 14