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Ji A, Guan J, Zhang S, Ma X, Jing S, Yan G, Liu Y, Li H, Zhao H. Environmental and economic assessments of industry-level medical waste disposal technologies - A case study of ten Chinese megacities. WASTE MANAGEMENT (NEW YORK, N.Y.) 2024; 174:203-217. [PMID: 38061188 DOI: 10.1016/j.wasman.2023.11.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Medical waste (MW) is exploding due to the COVID-19 pandemic, posing a significant environmental threat, and leading to the urgent requirement for affordable and environmentally friendly MW disposal technologies. Prior research on individual MW disposal plants is region-specific, applying these results to other regions may introduce bias. In this study, major MW disposal technologies in China, i.e., incineration technologies (pyrolysis incineration and rotary kiln incineration), and sterilization technologies (steam sterilization, microwave sterilization, and chemical disinfection) with residue landfill or incineration were analyzed from an industry-level perspective via life cycle assessment (LCA), life cycle costing (LCC) and net present value (NPV) methods. Life cycle inventories and economic cost data for 4-5 typical companies were selected from 128 distinct enterprises and academic sources for each technology. LCA results show that microwave sterilization with residue incineration has the lowest environmental impact, emitting only 480 kg CO2 eq. LCC and NPV analyses indicate that steam sterilization with landfilling is the most economical, yielding revenues of 1,210 CNY/t and breaking even in the first year. Conversely, pyrolysis and rotary kiln incineration break even between the 4th and 5th years. Greenhouse gas emissions from the MW disposal in ten cities with the largest MW production in 2020 increased by 7% over 2019 to 43,800 tons and other pollutants increased by 6% to 12%. Economically, Shanghai exhibits the highest cost-effectiveness, while Nanjing delivers the lowest. It can be observed that the adoption of optimal environmental technologies has resulted in a diminution of greenhouse gas emissions by 279,000 tons and energy conservation of 1.76 billion MJ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimin Ji
- Ocean College, Tangshan Normal University, Tangshan 063210, China
| | - Jinghua Guan
- School of Metallurgy and Energy, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
| | - Siqing Zhang
- School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
| | - Xiaoling Ma
- School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
| | - Sida Jing
- School of Basic Medical College, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
| | - Guanghao Yan
- School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
| | - Yue Liu
- School of Chemical Engineering, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
| | - Haiying Li
- School of Metallurgy and Energy, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan 063210, China
| | - Hailong Zhao
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control (SKLESPC), School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
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Li YQ, Sun R, Zhang CM, Liu ZX, Chen RT, Zhao J, Gu HD, Yin HC. Inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in water by electron beam excitation multi-wavelength ultraviolet irradiation: Efficiency, influence factors and mechanism. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 350:119597. [PMID: 38029495 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Due to the limitations of traditional ultraviolet (UV) in microbial inactivation in water, it is necessary to explore a more suitable and efficient UV disinfection method. In this study, an electron beam excitation multi-wavelength ultraviolet (EBE-MW-UV) system was established and aims to analyze its differential microbial inactivation capabilities in comparison to single-wavelength UV-LEDs in waterborne applications. Furthermore, the inactivation mechanisms of this system on microorganisms were explored. The results showed that EBE-MW-UV had significantly higher inactivation effects on the Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis and Candida albicans in water compared to UV-LEDs (p<0.05), and the inactivation effect of EBE-MW-UV on Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the same UV dose was 3.8 and 1.9 log higher than that of UV-LEDs, respectively, EBE-MW-UV exhibited better inactivation effects on Gram-negative bacteria. Further research found that, under the majority of irradiation doses, neither EBE-MW-UV nor UV-LEDs were significantly affected by the concentration of suspended solids (5 and 20 mg/L) or humic acids (2 and 5 mg/L) in the water. Mechanism analysis revealed that during the disinfection process of EBE-MW-UV, microbial DNA and proteins were initially damaged, which prevented the occurrence of dark repair and led to bacterial inactivation. In addition, UV irradiation led to the production of additional reactive oxygen species (ROS) inside the cells, increasing cell membrane permeability and exacerbating membrane damage. This was accompanied by a decrease in energy metabolism and depletion of ATP, ultimately resulting in microbial inactivation. Therefore, EBE-MW-UV demonstrated more effective disinfection than single-wavelength UV-LEDs, showing great potential. Our research gives new insights into the characteristics of multiple wavelength ultraviolet, and provides scientific basis for the selection of new light sources in the field of ultraviolet disinfection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Qiang Li
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Key Lab of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Rui Sun
- School of Biomedical Engineering (Suzhou), Division of Life Science and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China; Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Chong-Miao Zhang
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Key Lab of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; International Science and Technology Cooperation Center for Urban Alternative Water Resources Development, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China.
| | - Zi-Xuan Liu
- School of Environmental and Municipal Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China; Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China; Key Lab of Northwest Water Resource, Environment and Ecology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Environmental Engineering, Xi'an University of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China
| | - Rui-Tao Chen
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Jian Zhao
- Shanghai NovelUv Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Hua-Dong Gu
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China
| | - Huan-Cai Yin
- Suzhou Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Suzhou 215163, China.
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3
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Sahoo S, Rathod W, Vardikar H, Biswal M, Mohanty S, Nayak SK. Biomedical waste plastic: bacteria, disinfection and recycling technologies-a comprehensive review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : IJEST 2023:1-18. [PMID: 37360566 PMCID: PMC10189688 DOI: 10.1007/s13762-023-04975-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
Plastic recycling reduces the wastage of potentially useful materials as well as the consumption of virgin materials, thereby lowering the energy consumption, air pollution by incineration, soil and water pollution by landfilling. Plastics used in the biomedical sector have played a significant role. Reducing the transmission of the virus while protecting the human life in particular the frontline workers. Enormous volumes of plastics in biomedical waste have been observed during the outbreak of the pandemic COVID-19. This has resulted from the extensive use of personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, face shields, bottles, sanitizers, gowns, and other medical plastics which has created challenges to the existing waste management system in the developing countries. The current review focuses on the biomedical waste and its classification, disinfection, and recycling technology of different types of plastics waste generated in the sector and their corresponding approaches toward end-of-life option and value addition. This review provides a broader overview of the process to reduce the volume of plastics from biomedical waste directly entering the landfill while providing a knowledge step toward the conversion of "waste" to "wealth." An average of 25% of the recyclable plastics are present in biomedical waste. All the processes discussed in this article accounts for cleaner techniques and a sustainable approach to the treatment of biomedical waste. Graphical abstract
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Sahoo
- Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials, Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
- Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha 753003 India
| | - W. Rathod
- Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials, Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
| | - H. Vardikar
- Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials, Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
| | - M. Biswal
- Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials, Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
| | - S. Mohanty
- Laboratory for Advanced Research in Polymeric Materials, Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar, Odisha 751024 India
| | - S. K. Nayak
- Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha 753003 India
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Pamučar D, Puška A, Simić V, Stojanović I, Deveci M. Selection of healthcare waste management treatment using fuzzy rough numbers and Aczel-Alsina Function. ENGINEERING APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 2023; 121:106025. [PMID: 36908983 PMCID: PMC9985309 DOI: 10.1016/j.engappai.2023.106025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in healthcare waste (HCW). HCW management treatment needs to be re-taken into focus to deal with this challenge. In practice, there are several treatments of HCW with their advantages and disadvantages. This study is conducted to select the appropriate treatment for HCW in the Brčko District of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Six HCW management treatments are analyzed and observed through twelve criteria. Ten-level linguistic values were used to bring this evaluation closer to human thinking. A fuzzy rough approach is used to solve the problem of inaccuracy in determining these values. The OPA method from the Bonferroni operator is used to determine the weights of the criteria. The results of the application of this method showed that the criterion Environmental Impact ( C 4 ) received the highest weight, while the criterion Automation Level ( C 8 ) received the lowest value. The ranking of HCW management treatments was performed using MARCOS methods based on the Aczel-Alsina function. The results of this analysis showed that the best-ranked HCW management treatment is microwave (A6) while landfill treatment (A5) is ranked worst. This study has provided a new approach based on fuzzy rough numbers where the Bonferroni function is used to determine the lower and upper limits, while the application of the Aczel-Alsina function reduced the influence of decision-makers on the final decision because this function stabilizes the decision-making process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragan Pamučar
- Department of Operations Research and Statistics, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, University of Belgrade, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia
- College of Engineering, Yuan Ze University, Taiwan
| | - Adis Puška
- Government of Brčko District, Department of Public Safety, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Vladimir Simić
- University of Belgrade, Faculty of Transport and Traffic Engineering, Vojvode Stepe 305, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ilija Stojanović
- American University in the Emirates, Dubai International Academic City, Block 6 & 7, P.O. Box: 503000, United Arab Emirates
| | - Muhammet Deveci
- Turkish Naval Academy, National Defence University, Department of Industrial Engineering, 34940, Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey
- The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London WC1E 7HB, UK
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Choudhary R, Mukhija A, Sharma S, Choudhary R, Chand A, Dewangan AK, Gaurav GK, Klemeš JJ. Energy-saving COVID-19 biomedical plastic waste treatment using the thermal - Catalytic pyrolysis. ENERGY (OXFORD, ENGLAND) 2023; 264:126096. [PMID: 36407968 PMCID: PMC9661398 DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2022.126096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 11/05/2022] [Accepted: 11/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The rate of Biomedical waste generation increases exponentially during infectious diseases, such as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which burst in December 2019 and spread worldwide in a very short time, causing over 6 M casualties worldwide till May 2022. As per the WHO guidelines, the facemask has been used by every person to prevent the infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and discarded as biomedical waste. In the present work, a 3-ply facemask was chosen to be treated using the solvent, which was extracted from the different types of waste plastics through the thermal-catalytic pyrolysis process using a novel catalyst. The facemask was dispersed in the solvent in a heating process, followed by dissolution and precipitation of the facemask in the solvent and by filtration of the solid facemask residue out of the solvent. The effect of peak temperature, heating rate, and type of solvent is observed experimentally, and it found that the facemask was dissolved completely with a clear supernate in the solvent extracted from the (polypropylene + poly-ethylene) plastic also saved energy, while the solvent from ABS plastic was not capable to dissolute the facemask. The potential of the presented approach on the global level is also examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh Choudhary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), Surat, Gujarat (India) - 395007
| | - Abhishek Mukhija
- E-waste Research & Development Centre, Institute of Engineering & Technology, Alwar, Rajasthan (India) - 301030
| | - Subhash Sharma
- E-waste Research & Development Centre, Institute of Engineering & Technology, Alwar, Rajasthan (India) - 301030
| | - Rohitash Choudhary
- E-waste Research & Development Centre, Institute of Engineering & Technology, Alwar, Rajasthan (India) - 301030
| | - Ami Chand
- E-waste Research & Development Centre, Institute of Engineering & Technology, Alwar, Rajasthan (India) - 301030
| | - Ashok K Dewangan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi (India) - 110036
| | - Gajendra Kumar Gaurav
- Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory, SPIL, NETME Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, VUT Brno, Technická 2896/2, 616 69, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Jaromír Klemeš
- Sustainable Process Integration Laboratory, SPIL, NETME Centre, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Brno University of Technology, VUT Brno, Technická 2896/2, 616 69, Brno, Czech Republic
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6
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Yadav D, Mann S, Balyan A. Waste management model for COVID-19: recommendations for future threats. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY : IJEST 2022; 20:6117-6130. [PMID: 35855821 PMCID: PMC9274959 DOI: 10.1007/s13762-022-04357-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
The change in habits and lifestyle of citizens during health crisis like COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an unprecedented increase in the struggles for solid waste management across the globe. Not only underdeveloped and developing economies are struggling with the challenges posed by mounting piles of infectious waste but even developed countries are adversely affected in similar manner. The routine waste management strategies followed by various countries are overturned due extremely altered trends in the amount and type of waste generated by households and medical facilities. The aim of this paper is to study and list the best available waste management policies adopted by some developing, developed and underdeveloped economies. The listed case studies were selected due to some unique steps undertaken for solid waste disposal during pandemic. The findings revealed that the guidelines issued by WHO for waste management of corona virus infected waste were followed by these nations and certain additional preventive steps were taken. Due to unavailability of single framework as prescribed by international authorities, various sustainable steps taken by individual countries to curb the pandemic menace can be useful in the present context. Few of these measures can be permanently adopted at global level by other nations for handling the pandemic like situations efficiently in pandemic situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Yadav
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Technology, New Delhi, 110058 India
| | - S. Mann
- Department of Information Technology, Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Technology, New Delhi, 110058 India
| | - A. Balyan
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Maharaja Surajmal Institute of Technology, New Delhi, 110058 India
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Kollu VKR, Kumar P, Gautam K. Comparison of microwave and autoclave treatment for biomedical waste disinfection. SYSTEMS MICROBIOLOGY AND BIOMANUFACTURING 2022; 2:732-742. [PMID: 38625172 PMCID: PMC9045020 DOI: 10.1007/s43393-022-00101-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
As the world is facing a Covid-19 pandemic, this virus teaches a lesson about the importance of on-site disinfection. On-site disinfection/sterilization with real-time monitoring of biomedical waste generated from the medical facilities is mandatory to prevent hospital-acquired infection (HAI). In this study, the life cycle assessment of two technologies, i.e., microwave (radiation-based) and autoclave (steam-based) were performed to summarize the inside-out evaluation of both technologies in terms of efficiency, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness. The results of disinfection efficacy indicated a log 10 reduction (almost 100%) in the vegetative load of microorganisms compared to the control, showing a similar level of disinfection efficacy of both strategies. Additionally, both technologies were compared on several parameters, and it was discovered that the autoclave uses more time and resources than the microwave. The total cost of an autoclave to the government is approximately double that of a microwave, while the operational cost of an autoclave is more than double that of a microwave. The findings from this study indicate that MACS may be used as a dry technique of biomedical disinfection, and its portability, tunability, and compactness make it a suitable alternative for biomedical disinfection and sterilization. Graphical abstract
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Parmeshwar Kumar
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110029 India
| | - Krishna Gautam
- Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh 226 029 India
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Bhar A, Biswas RK, Choudhury AK. The influence of COVID-19 pandemic on biomedical waste management, the impact beyond infection. PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIAN NATIONAL SCIENCE ACADEMY 2022. [PMCID: PMC8908297 DOI: 10.1007/s43538-022-00070-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Excessive population outbursts and associated xenobiotic interventions contribute overproduction of waste materials across the world. Among these waste materials biomedical wastes (BMW) make a significant contribution. The huge accumulation of BMW is not only meant for successive environmental pollution but increases health hazards by cross-contamination and reoccurrence of different fatal infections. The management of BMW gaining continuous attention to the scientific communities for their intriguing potentiality towards public health concerns. Although, world health organization (WHO) and other public health and environmental societies formulate different guidelines for the disposal machinery of BMW but the proper implementation of those rules in public sectors in developing countries is very difficult. In this situation, the sudden prevalence of pandemic like, COVID-19 further worsen such conditions. Huge disposition of medical wastes during COVID-19 detection, treatment, and precautionary measures not only increases the risk of reoccurrence of infection but puts us also in front of a huge challenge of efficient management of these BMW. In this respect, the present review focus on an overview of BMW, existing BMW management, probable consequences of COVID-19 pandemic on the waste management system, and future perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anirban Bhar
- Department of Botany (Post Graduate), Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College (Autonomous), Rahara, Kolkata, 700118 West Bengal India
| | - Rohan Kr Biswas
- Department of Botany (Post Graduate), Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College (Autonomous), Rahara, Kolkata, 700118 West Bengal India
| | - Avik Kumar Choudhury
- Department of Botany (Post Graduate), Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda Centenary College (Autonomous), Rahara, Kolkata, 700118 West Bengal India
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Dehal A, Vaidya AN, Kumar AR. Biomedical waste generation and management during COVID-19 pandemic in India: challenges and possible management strategies. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:14830-14845. [PMID: 34622401 PMCID: PMC8496889 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-16736-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the massive generation of biomedical waste (BMW) and plastic waste (PW). This sudden spike in BMW and PW has created challenges to the existing waste management infrastructure, especially in developing countries. Safe disposal of PW and BMW is essential; otherwise, this virus will lead to a waste pandemic. This paper reviews the generation of BMW and PW before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the regulatory framework for BMW management, policy interventions for COVID-19-based BMW (C-BMW), the capacity of BMW treatment and disposal facilities to cope with the challenges, possible management strategies, and perspectives in the Indian context. This study indicated that policy intervention helped minimize the general waste treated as C-BMW, especially during the second pandemic. Inadequacy of common BMW treatment facilities' (CBMWTFs) capacity to cope with the BMW daily generation was observed in some states resulting in compromised treatment conditions. Suggestions for better management of BMW and PW include decontamination of used personal protective equipment (PPEs) and recycling, alternate materials for PPEs, segregation strategies, and use of BMW for co-processing in cement kilns. All upcoming CBMWTFs should be equipped with higher capacity and efficient incinerators for the sound management of BMW. Post-pandemic monitoring of environmental compartments is imperative to assess the possible impacts of pandemic waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Dehal
- Chemical and Hazardous Waste Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India
| | - Atul Narayan Vaidya
- Chemical and Hazardous Waste Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India
| | - Asirvatham Ramesh Kumar
- Chemical and Hazardous Waste Management Division, CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur, 440020, India.
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, 201002, India.
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Medical Waste Treatment Technologies for Energy, Fuels, and Materials Production: A Review. ENERGIES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/en14238065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The importance of medical waste management has grown during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the increase in medical waste quantity and the significant dangers of these highly infected wastes for human health and the environment. This innovative review focuses on the possibility of materials, gas/liquid/solid fuels, thermal energy, and electric power production from medical waste fractions. Appropriate and promising treatment/disposal technologies, such as (i) acid hydrolysis, (ii) acid/enzymatic hydrolysis, (iii) anaerobic digestion, (vi) autoclaving, (v) enzymatic oxidation, (vi) hydrothermal carbonization/treatment, (vii) incineration/steam heat recovery system, (viii) pyrolysis/Rankine cycle, (ix) rotary kiln treatment, (x) microwave/steam sterilization, (xi) plasma gasification/melting, (xii) sulfonation, (xiii) batch reactor thermal cracking, and (xiv) torrefaction, were investigated. The medical waste generation data were collected according to numerous researchers from various countries, and divided into gross medical waste and hazardous medical waste. Moreover, the medical wastes were separated into categories and types according to the international literature and the medical waste fractions’ percentages were estimated. The capability of the examined medical waste treatment technologies to produce energy, fuels, and materials, and eliminate the medical waste management problem, was very promising with regard to the near future.
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11
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Multiphysics modeling of microwave heating of solid samples in rotary lifting motion in a rectangular multi-mode cavity. INNOV FOOD SCI EMERG 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ifset.2021.102767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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12
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Antoniadou M, Varzakas T, Tzoutzas I. Circular Economy in Conjunction with Treatment Methodologies in the Biomedical and Dental Waste Sectors. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 1:563-592. [PMID: 34888552 PMCID: PMC7967779 DOI: 10.1007/s43615-020-00001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
Abstract
In this review, life cycle assessment (LCA) principles are coupled with circular economy (CE) in order to address LCA examples in the biomedical sector worldwide. The objectives were (1) to explore the application of LCA in the medical, pharmaceutical, and dental fields; (2) to describe the ways of biomedical waste management; (3) to emphasize on the problem of dental waste in private and public dental sectors; and (4) to propose ways of “green circulation” of the dental waste. A literature search was performed using the Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus search engines covering the period from January 2000 until May 2020, corresponding to articles investigating the LCA and circular economy principles and legislation for biomedical and dental waste, their management options, and modern ways of recycling. The results showed that incineration seems to be the best management way option involved despite the mentioned drawbacks in this technology. Different adopted models are well defined for the dental field based on the 3Rs’ module (reduce, reuse, recycle). Replacing disposable products with reusable ones seems to be a good way to tackle the problem of waste in medical and dental sectors. Interventions on the selection and better biomedical and dental waste management will ensure eco-medicine and eco-dentistry of the future. These new terms should be the new philosophies that will change the way these fields operate in the future for the benefit of the professionals/patients and the community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Antoniadou
- Dental School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Theodoros Varzakas
- Department of Food Science and Technology, University of Peloponnese, Tripoli, Greece
| | - Ioannis Tzoutzas
- Dental School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
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Kenny C, Priyadarshini A. Review of Current Healthcare Waste Management Methods and Their Effect on Global Health. Healthcare (Basel) 2021; 9:284. [PMID: 33807606 PMCID: PMC7999172 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9030284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthcare is a rapidly growing industry as medical treatments become more sophisticated, more in demand due to increasing incidence of chronic disease and more widely available worldwide. This booming industry is also creating more waste than ever before and, as such, there is a growing need to treat and dispose of this waste. Healthcare waste (HCW) disposal includes a multitude of disposal methods, including incineration, landfilling and chemical treatments. These rudimentary methods and their growing use present their own problems that negatively impact both the environment and, in turn, damage public health, thus contributing to a global healthcare crisis. The aim of this review was to examine the current HCW disposal methods in place and the harmful effects they have on the environment and on public health. The findings accumulated in this review demonstrate a heavy reliance on basic, low tech HCW disposal techniques and uncovered the negative impacts of these methods. There is a notable lack of employment of "greener" HCW disposal methods on a largescale due to cost, access and feasibility. Despite innovations in HCW disposal, there is no scalable, global green solution at present. Further, the review highlights that global health consequences of HCW disposal methods often differ depending on how developed the country is.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Kenny
- College of Business, Technological University Dublin, 2 Dublin, Ireland;
| | - Anushree Priyadarshini
- College of Business, Technological University Dublin, 2 Dublin, Ireland;
- Environment Sustainability and Health Institute, Technological University Dublin, 7 Dublin, Ireland
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14
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Patil PM, Bohara RA. Nanoparticles impact in biomedical waste management. WASTE MANAGEMENT & RESEARCH : THE JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOLID WASTES AND PUBLIC CLEANSING ASSOCIATION, ISWA 2020; 38:1189-1203. [PMID: 32667845 DOI: 10.1177/0734242x20936761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Effectual management of biomedical waste is obligatory for healthy human beings and for a safe environment. Mismanagement of biomedical waste is a community health problem. Safe and persistent methods for the management of biomedical waste are of vital importance. This article reviews the classification of biomedical waste, sources, colour-coding system of biomedical waste and salient features of biomedical waste rules in 2016, and the future prospective of nanoparticles. The untreated disposal of biomedical waste is associated with a huge amount of risk, so the efficient treatment for biomedical waste is most imperative. The review also highlights the current methods for disposal of biomedical waste, biological treatments given to biomedical waste water in the effluent treatment plant, and impacts due to the current method. Management of biomedical waste is a great challenge in developed and developing countries. To manage the biomedical waste there is a need for cost-effective, ecofriendly and less contaminating approaches for a greener and safe environment. The awareness regarding waste management is of great interest not only for the community but also for associated employees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja M Patil
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, D. Y. Patil University, India
| | - Raghvendra A Bohara
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research, D. Y. Patil University, India
- CÚRAM, SFI., Center for Research in Medical Devices, National University of Ireland Galway, Ireland
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15
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Microwave Technologies: An Emerging Tool for Inactivation of Biohazardous Material in Developing Countries. RECYCLING 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/recycling3030034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Inappropriate treatment and disposal of waste containing biohazardous materials occurs especially in developing countries and can lead to adverse effects on public and occupational health and safety, as well as on the environment. For the treatment of biohazardous waste, microwave irradiation is an emerging tool. It is a misbelief that microwave devices cannot be used for inactivation of solid biohazardous waste; however, the inactivation process, and especially the moisture content, has to be strictly controlled, particularly if water is required to be added to the process. Appropriate control allows also inactivation of waste containing inhomogeneous compositions of material with low fluid/moisture content. Where appropriate, especially where control of transport of waste cannot be guaranteed, the waste should be inactivated directly at the place of generation, preferably with a closed waste collection system. In waste containing sufficient moisture, there are direct useful applications, for example the treatment of sewage sludge or human feces. A number of examples of microwave applications with impacts for developing countries are presented in this review. In respect to energy costs and environmental aspects, microwave devices have clear advantages in comparison to autoclaves.
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