The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Methods laid down for disposal of biomedical waste

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 10, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Methods laid down for disposal of biomedical waste

By Ramya Kannan

CHENNAI, JUNE 9. The Biomedical waste (Management & Handling) Rules 1998 lay down clear methods for disposal of biomedical waste, defined as ``any waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of human beings or animals or in research activities used in the production or testing of biologicals.''

Pollution Control Boards of every State have been given the task of authorising and implementing the rules. The rules also state that it shall be the duty of every ``occupier of an institution, generating biomedical waste, including a hospital, nursing home, clinic, dispensary, veterinary institution, animal house, pathological laboratory, blood bank, to take all steps to ensure that such wastes are handled without any adverse effect to human health and environment.''

The Rules have clearly defined 10 categories of wastes generated by hospitals on a daily basis and specified the means of disposal. Category 1 lists human anatomical waste (human tissues, organs and body parts), which must be incinerated or given a deep burial. Clear technical specifications govern the use of incinerators and deep burial is an option available only in towns with a population of less than five lakhs and in rural areas. A pit, two metres deep, should be half filled with waste and then covered with lime within 50 cm of the surface. The rest of the pit must be filled with soil. It should be distant from habitation and it should be ensured that no contamination of surface or ground water occurs.

Category 2 lists animal waste (animal tissues, organs body parts, carcasses, fluid, blood and experimental animals used in research, waste generated by veterinary hospital and discharge from hospitals and animal houses), which also has to be given the same treatment. Category 3 lists microbiology and biotechnology waste, which must be autoclaved, microwaved or incinerated. Waste sharps (including needles, syringes, scalpels, blades, glass or any other material that might cause puncture or cuts) fall under Category 4, which have to be disinfected with chemical treatment and then mutilated or shredded to prevent reuse.

Category 5 consists of discarded or unused medicines, which will have to be incinerated or disposed off in secure landfills. The next category (6) is solid waste, including items contaminated with blood, body fluids, cotton, dressings, soiled plaster casts, bedding will have to be incinerated, autoclaved or microwaved. The other distinctions are: solid waste, disposables other than sharps (Category 7); liquid waste (8); incineration ash (9) and chemical waste (10).

Colour coding has been specified for the different categories and biomedical waste shall be duly labelled before transportation and no untreated waste shall be kept stored beyond 48 hours without permission. Categories 1, 2, 3 and 6, given a yellow tag must be stored in plastic bags. Categories 3, 6 and 7 given a red tag must be stored in disinfected containers or plastic bags, while Categories 4 and 7 get a blue/white translucent label and must be stored in plastic bags and puncture-proof containers. Wastes in Categories 5, 9 and 10 must be stored in plastic bags and tagged with a black label.

Every unit generating biomedical waste is also required to maintain records of generation, collection, reception and storage of waste and submit annual reports to the prescribed authority by January 31 every year.

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