Treating Solid Medical Waste

The number of medical facilities is growing every year, requiring the implementation of an effective waste management system. Not only would it benefit public health and safety, but it will also lessen the pressure on landfills.

Like waste material from other commercial and industrial sectors, medical waste is largely made up of solid waste. These infectious and non-infectious wastes will all end up in landfills.

How Effective are Landfills in Treating Solid Medical Waste?

Landfills are the most effective solution for dealing with solid medical waste. Processes that encourage garbage degradation occur within the landfill, resulting in leachate and gasses.

Leachate is dirty water that seeps from the landfill's bottom. Because of the benefits associated with improved waste stabilization and gas production, leachate recirculation is being done at a growing number of active landfills.
The landfill environment is highly diversified. The mechanism by which solid medical wastes are dissolved is determined by the heterogeneous nature of the material and the functioning qualities of the landfill.

Pathogen Survival

Leachates from commercial and laboratory landfills have been discovered to contain a small number of pathogens. However, viruses are rarely identified in landfill area leachates in general.
Landfill leachate appears to be a hostile environment for viral survival. Although the causes of viral elimination are not grasped clearly, the frequency of viral inactivation in leachates has been reported to be temperature-dependent.

Conclusion

Modern landfills are a safe option for the disposal of solid medical waste since they are heavily regulated. Waste minimization, however, should be performed to reduce the generation of solid medical waste and eliminate any possibility for harmful emissions.