The Medical Waste

1. Safety and biosecurity
Laboratory Lecture 6:-The Medical Waste
Dr. Raghda Saad Mohammed

2. The WHO classified the medical waste into the
following categories of medical waste:
1. Infectious waste: Discarded materials and biological waste
products that may transmit infection from virus, bacterial,
parasites to human, e.g.: lab cultures, tissues, swabs, equipment
and excreta.
2. Sharps waste: Sharps are anything that can cut the skin. This
includes needles, syringes with needles, lancets, scalpels, wires,
staples, broken glass, etc.

3. The WHO classified the medical waste into the
following categories of medical waste:
• 3. Pathological waste: Any recognizable human body
part, organs and tissue, or any animal body part, organ or
tissue contaminated or suspected to be contaminated by a
zoonotic disease.
• 4. Radioactive – Unused liquid in radiotherapy or lab
research, contaminated glassware, etc.

4. The WHO classified the medical waste into the
following categories of medical waste:
• 5. Pharmaceuticals – Expired and contaminated medicines, residual
chemotherapy medications, syringes, and items utilized in the
preparation of chemotherapy infusions are all required to be disposed
of as regulated medical waste.
• 6. Genotoxic Waste. This is a highly hazardous form of medical
waste that’s either carcinogenic, teratogenic, or mutagenic. It can
include cytotoxic drugs intended for use in cancer treatment.

5. The WHO classified the medical waste into the
following categories of medical waste:
• 7. Chemical – Expired lab reagents, film developer,
disinfectant. solvents used for laboratory purposes, batteries,
and heavy metals from medical equipment such as mercury
from broken thermometers.
• 8. Pressurized containers – Gas cylinders and gas cartridges.
• 9. General waste – No risk to human health because no blood
or any related bodily fluid, e.g.: office paper, wrapper, kitchen
waste, general sweeping, etc.

6. The latest guidelines for segregation of biomedical waste
recommend the following color coding:
Red Bag - Syringes (without needles),
soiled gloves, catheters, IV tubes etc.
should be all disposed of in a red
colored bag, which will later be
incinerated.
Yellow Bag - All dressings, bandages
and cotton swabs with body fluids,
blood bags, human anatomical waste,
body parts are to be discarded in
yellow bags.

7. The latest guidelines for segregation of biomedical waste
recommend the following color coding:
Cardboard box with blue marking -
Glass vials, ampules, other glass ware
is to be discarded in a cardboard box
with a blue marking/sticker.
White Puncture Proof Container
(PPC) - Needles, sharps, blades are
disposed of in a white translucent
puncture proof container.

8. The latest guidelines for segregation of biomedical waste
recommend the following color coding:
Chemotherapy Sharps Container -
Cytotoxic and Genotoxic Waste include
chemotherapy needles, syringes, iv
catheter, broken glasses & scalpels
· Black Bags - These are to be used for
non-biomedical waste. In a hospital
setup, this includes stationary, vegetable
and fruit peels, leftovers, packaging
including that from medicines, disposable
caps, disposable masks, disposable shoe-
covers, disposable teacups, cartons,
sweeping dust, kitchen waste etc.

9. Thanks for
your
attention
9/17/2022
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