Medical Waste

Question 1

What is Medical Waste?

Answer 1

Is healthcare waste that may be contaminated by blood, body fluids or other infectious material.
- also known as regulated waste.

Question 2

How much of waste generated by healthcare activities is general, non-hazardous waste?

Answer 2

85%

Question 3

How much of waste generated by healthcare activities is hazardous waste?

Answer 3

15%

Question 4

How can burning of waste cause pollution?

Answer 4

Through the emission of furans, dioxins and particulate matter.

Question 5

What are the types of waste?

Answer 5

Infectious waste
Pathological waste
Sharps waste
Chemical waste
Cytotoxic waste
Pharmaceutical waste
Radioactive waste
Non-Hazardous waste

Question 6

Infectious waste

Answer 6

Contaminated w/ blood and other bodily fluids.

eg. diagnostic samples, cultures and stocks

Question 7

Pathological waste

Answer 7

Human tissues, organs or fluids, body parts and animal carcasses.

Question 8

Sharps waste

Answer 8

Syringes, needles, disposable scalpels and blades.

Question 9

Chemical waste

Answer 9

Solvents
Reagents
Disinfectants
Sterilants
Heavy metals

Question 10

Pharmaceutical waste

Answer 10

expired, unused & contaminated drugs & vaccines

Question 11

Cytotoxic waste

Answer 11

waste w/ genotoxic properties (mutagenic, teratogenic or carcinogenic)

Question 12

Radioactive waste

Answer 12

waste contaminated by radionuclides
radioactive diagnostic material
radiotherapeutic material

Question 13

Non-Hazardous/ General Waste

Answer 13

Waste that does not pose any biological, chemical, radioactive or physical threat.

Question 14

Sources of Health-care waste

Answer 14

hospitals 
laboratories and research centres
mortuary and autopsy centres
animal research and testing laboratories
blood banks 
nursing homes for the elderly