Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario

The generation of a comparatively large amount of potentially infectious and hazardous wastes has increased in healthcare services. Worldwide inappropriate healthcare waste management practices can have a direct and indirect effect of health hazards. This article summarizes a literature review into...

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Main Authors: Ghasemi, Maryam Khadem, Mohd Yusuff, Rosnah
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: HARD Pub. Co. 2016
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54983/1/Advantages%20and%20disadvantages%20of%20healthcare%20waste%20treatment%20and%20disposal%20alternatives.pdf
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author Ghasemi, Maryam Khadem
Mohd Yusuff, Rosnah
author_facet Ghasemi, Maryam Khadem
Mohd Yusuff, Rosnah
author_sort Ghasemi, Maryam Khadem
collection UPM
description The generation of a comparatively large amount of potentially infectious and hazardous wastes has increased in healthcare services. Worldwide inappropriate healthcare waste management practices can have a direct and indirect effect of health hazards. This article summarizes a literature review into healthcare waste and presents basic information on characteristics of them generated in healthcare centers. Also, this paper placed emphasis on sustainable treatment of the healthcare waste with case study. Different types of clinical waste include infectious, pathogenic, genotoxic, radioactive, and pharmaceutical materials, plus sharps. The various clinical wastes have to be managed and handled differently. There are several methods of healthcare treatment such as incineration, autoclaving, microwaving, landfilling, and plasma pyrolysis. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Before selecting the right treatment technology, it is necessary to substantiate the waste volume and its category. Currently, healthcare waste is generally treated by incineration technology and the incinerated ash is disposed of in Malaysian landfills. There are several constraints on incinerating and landfilling healthcare wastes as such waste can be a major source of dioxin and furan pollution that may pose such health problems as liver failure and cancer. Therefore, other potential methods should be examined as alternatives to incineration and landfilling in order to better manage healthcare waste in Malaysia.
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spelling upm.eprints-549832018-07-11T08:57:24Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54983/ Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario Ghasemi, Maryam Khadem Mohd Yusuff, Rosnah The generation of a comparatively large amount of potentially infectious and hazardous wastes has increased in healthcare services. Worldwide inappropriate healthcare waste management practices can have a direct and indirect effect of health hazards. This article summarizes a literature review into healthcare waste and presents basic information on characteristics of them generated in healthcare centers. Also, this paper placed emphasis on sustainable treatment of the healthcare waste with case study. Different types of clinical waste include infectious, pathogenic, genotoxic, radioactive, and pharmaceutical materials, plus sharps. The various clinical wastes have to be managed and handled differently. There are several methods of healthcare treatment such as incineration, autoclaving, microwaving, landfilling, and plasma pyrolysis. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Before selecting the right treatment technology, it is necessary to substantiate the waste volume and its category. Currently, healthcare waste is generally treated by incineration technology and the incinerated ash is disposed of in Malaysian landfills. There are several constraints on incinerating and landfilling healthcare wastes as such waste can be a major source of dioxin and furan pollution that may pose such health problems as liver failure and cancer. Therefore, other potential methods should be examined as alternatives to incineration and landfilling in order to better manage healthcare waste in Malaysia. HARD Pub. Co. 2016 Article PeerReviewed text en http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54983/1/Advantages%20and%20disadvantages%20of%20healthcare%20waste%20treatment%20and%20disposal%20alternatives.pdf Ghasemi, Maryam Khadem and Mohd Yusuff, Rosnah (2016) Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 25 (1). pp. 17-25. ISSN 1230-1485 10.15244/pjoes/59322
spellingShingle Ghasemi, Maryam Khadem
Mohd Yusuff, Rosnah
Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario
title Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario
title_full Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario
title_fullStr Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario
title_full_unstemmed Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario
title_short Advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives: Malaysian scenario
title_sort advantages and disadvantages of healthcare waste treatment and disposal alternatives malaysian scenario
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/54983/1/Advantages%20and%20disadvantages%20of%20healthcare%20waste%20treatment%20and%20disposal%20alternatives.pdf
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