Medical waste pollution is a problem throughout the world. In the United States, each state has laws and rules for disposing of medical waste. Some states, including Louisiana, have stricter laws and rules than other states. Though the federal government doesn’t have specific rules for disposing of medical waste, several governmental organizations do have rules regarding medical waste disposal. Causes of medical waste problems include medical facilities dumping illegally, transporters transporting waste improperly and medical waste disposal companies not taking the appropriate steps to properly destroy and dispose of the waste. Companies must be certified to dispose of medical waste.
What is Medical Waste?
Medical waste includes infectious waste, which is waste that is contaminated by body fluids or radioactive chemicals such as chemotherapy drugs. The waste may include needles, disposable tools and other materials. About 85 percent of the medical waste generated by health care facilities is non-hazardous. About 15 percent is radioactive, toxic or infectious.
Hazards Associated with Hospital Waste
Several hazards are associated with medical waste. If the medical waste is burned openly or at the incorrect temperature, dioxins, particulate matter and furans may be released into the atmosphere. Other hazards include illegal dumping, which then affects controlled landfills and the environment. Medical waste could wash up on beaches and into wildlife habitats and affect those on the beaches and the animals in the habitats. The effects of biomedical waste on the environment are severe and the punishment for dumping medical waste is in the form of hefty fines.
If waste is dumped into the ocean, toxins affect organisms and sea life. The toxins are passed through the food chain, which means it also gets into the food we eat since we eat from the sea. Eating toxic fish, shellfish and other seafood may affect human growth, health and development as those toxins are passed on through the seafood to you. These toxins may also affect your unborn children.
Diseases Caused by Medical Waste
The effects of dumping medical waste include diseases that are passed on through the waste. These diseases include:
- Gastroenteric infections. These include enterobacteria such as Salmonella, Vibrio cholerae, Shigella spp. And helminths. These are transmitted through feces and vomit.
- Respiratory infections. These include Streptococcus pneumonia, measles virus, Mycobacterium and tuberculosis. These are transmitted through saliva and inhaled secretions.
- Herpesvirus, an ocular infection which are transmitted through eye secretions.
- Genital infections, such as herpesvirus and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, which are transmitted through genital secretions.
- Streptococcus spp., which is a skin infection and transmitted through pus.
- Anthrax which is transmitted through skin secretions.
- Meningitis, which is transmitted through cerebrospinal fluid.
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), which is transmitted through blood and sexual secretions.
- Haemorrhagic fevers such as Lassa, Junin, Marburg and the Ebola viruses, which are transmitted through all bloody products and secretions.
- Septicaemia, which is transmitted through blood.
- Bacteraemia such as coagulase-negative staphylococcus spp., enterobacter, staphyloccus aureus, streptococus spp., and klebsiella, which are transmitted through blood.
- Candida albicans, which is transmitted through blood.
- Viral hepatitis A virus which is transmitted through feces.
- Viral hepatitis B and C viruses, which are transmitted through blood and body fluids.
Contact MedWaste Services
Always choose a medical waste disposal company that is licensed to dispose of medical waste. If a company improperly disposes of your facility’s medical waste improperly, even unknown to you, you are responsible for the fines. MedWaste Services is licensed and run by veterans. We offer reasonable rates to properly transport, process and dispose of your facility’s medical waste.