Home Physical Sciences Chapter 17 Environmental impact of diverse biomedical waste and their sustainable management strategies
Chapter
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

Chapter 17 Environmental impact of diverse biomedical waste and their sustainable management strategies

  • Hemanga Kumar Das and Simran Choudhury
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Explore this Subject How to publish with us
Biomedical Waste Management
This chapter is in the book Biomedical Waste Management

Abstract

As the world is recovering gradually from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to highlight and reflect upon the gigantic amounts of biomedical waste that we generate. Biomedical waste can be defined as any waste that has been generated because of any medical study or procedure. According to the annual report of Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, 39,696 tons of biomedical waste had been generated from May 2020 to March 2021, due to COVID-19 alone. Some reports also claim that the amount of biomedical waste generated across India in October 2020 was almost 5,598 tons. This number is far lower than that of various developed countries, which is 85% that of developing countries, according to a WHO (World Health Organization) report. Even within these biomedical wastes there exist various categories like hazardous and nonhazardous waste that need to be segregated for their proper disposal. Other major categories can include pathogenic waste, infectious waste, radioactive waste, sharps waste, chemical waste, etc. For the diverse range of biomedical waste, there exists a different method for the proper disposal of each type of waste. Some of the methods include deep pit burial, incineration, and UV sterilization. Some of them may also require a combination of more than a single method. Such amalgamation is done to avoid the spread of infection across the population. Also, special care must be taken while handling and disposal of sharp medical wastes. An additional criterion for disposal and sustainable management of biomedical waste is that of infrastructure availability and the laws of the land, which set various standards for various types of waste and methods to manage them. These differences in managing biomedical waste arise due to the diversity in their impact on human health, other living organisms, and the environment. For example, if we consider radioactive wastes there are huge possibilities of human beings and other animals coming in contact with them and developing health issues related to radioactivity. Sharp material wastes, on the other hand, may cause infection when they wound the animal. Again, disposal of biomedical wastes in natural bodies like lakes, rivers, and oceans, cause pollution and sometimes bioaccumulation and biomagnification of certain chemicals as well. Also there remains the firm chance of contracting infection from these wastes. There can also be cases of various pathogens mutating and causing novel infections. To cope with and prevent such instances and ensure the safety of patients as well as health care providers, sustainable management and proper disposal of biomedical waste becomes utmost important. Here in this article, we discuss the diverse range of biomedical wastes that are being generated across the world, their impact on nature and human health, their disposal methods, and how we can manage them sustainably.

Abstract

As the world is recovering gradually from the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic, it is time to highlight and reflect upon the gigantic amounts of biomedical waste that we generate. Biomedical waste can be defined as any waste that has been generated because of any medical study or procedure. According to the annual report of Central Pollution Control Board, Ministry of Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, 39,696 tons of biomedical waste had been generated from May 2020 to March 2021, due to COVID-19 alone. Some reports also claim that the amount of biomedical waste generated across India in October 2020 was almost 5,598 tons. This number is far lower than that of various developed countries, which is 85% that of developing countries, according to a WHO (World Health Organization) report. Even within these biomedical wastes there exist various categories like hazardous and nonhazardous waste that need to be segregated for their proper disposal. Other major categories can include pathogenic waste, infectious waste, radioactive waste, sharps waste, chemical waste, etc. For the diverse range of biomedical waste, there exists a different method for the proper disposal of each type of waste. Some of the methods include deep pit burial, incineration, and UV sterilization. Some of them may also require a combination of more than a single method. Such amalgamation is done to avoid the spread of infection across the population. Also, special care must be taken while handling and disposal of sharp medical wastes. An additional criterion for disposal and sustainable management of biomedical waste is that of infrastructure availability and the laws of the land, which set various standards for various types of waste and methods to manage them. These differences in managing biomedical waste arise due to the diversity in their impact on human health, other living organisms, and the environment. For example, if we consider radioactive wastes there are huge possibilities of human beings and other animals coming in contact with them and developing health issues related to radioactivity. Sharp material wastes, on the other hand, may cause infection when they wound the animal. Again, disposal of biomedical wastes in natural bodies like lakes, rivers, and oceans, cause pollution and sometimes bioaccumulation and biomagnification of certain chemicals as well. Also there remains the firm chance of contracting infection from these wastes. There can also be cases of various pathogens mutating and causing novel infections. To cope with and prevent such instances and ensure the safety of patients as well as health care providers, sustainable management and proper disposal of biomedical waste becomes utmost important. Here in this article, we discuss the diverse range of biomedical wastes that are being generated across the world, their impact on nature and human health, their disposal methods, and how we can manage them sustainably.

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. List of contributing authors IX
  4. Chapter 1 Current status of biomedical waste generation in the world 1
  5. Chapter 2 Conventional and modern biomedical waste management technologies 15
  6. Chapter 3 Biomedical waste management: challenges and opportunities 39
  7. Chapter 4 Technological advancements for biomedical waste management 51
  8. Chapter 5 Segregation of biomedical waste: methodologies and importance 65
  9. Chapter 6 Metal recovery from biomedical waste: prospects and Perspectives 85
  10. Chapter 7 Biomedical waste treatment and energy generation 103
  11. Chapter 8 Biomedical waste and bioenergy: prospects and challenges 115
  12. Chapter 9 Utilization of biomedical waste as construction substitute 131
  13. Chapter 10 Segregation of biomedical waste: methodologies and importance 147
  14. Chapter 11 Biomedical waste management strategies: prospects and future scenario 161
  15. Chapter 12 The significance of information technology in enhancing revenue generation from biomedical waste management 179
  16. Chapter 13 Economics and market scenario of biomedical waste management 193
  17. Chapter 14 Biomedical waste: economics and market trends 207
  18. Chapter 15 Government initiatives and futuristic plans for waste management and revenue generation 219
  19. Chapter 16 Biomedical waste: environmental impacts and sustainable management 231
  20. Chapter 17 Environmental impact of diverse biomedical waste and their sustainable management strategies 261
  21. Chapter 18 Recovery of silver from used X-ray film for Sphingomonas paucimobilis MX8 273
  22. Index 283
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111305288-017

Chapters in this book

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents V
  3. List of contributing authors IX
  4. Chapter 1 Current status of biomedical waste generation in the world 1
  5. Chapter 2 Conventional and modern biomedical waste management technologies 15
  6. Chapter 3 Biomedical waste management: challenges and opportunities 39
  7. Chapter 4 Technological advancements for biomedical waste management 51
  8. Chapter 5 Segregation of biomedical waste: methodologies and importance 65
  9. Chapter 6 Metal recovery from biomedical waste: prospects and Perspectives 85
  10. Chapter 7 Biomedical waste treatment and energy generation 103
  11. Chapter 8 Biomedical waste and bioenergy: prospects and challenges 115
  12. Chapter 9 Utilization of biomedical waste as construction substitute 131
  13. Chapter 10 Segregation of biomedical waste: methodologies and importance 147
  14. Chapter 11 Biomedical waste management strategies: prospects and future scenario 161
  15. Chapter 12 The significance of information technology in enhancing revenue generation from biomedical waste management 179
  16. Chapter 13 Economics and market scenario of biomedical waste management 193
  17. Chapter 14 Biomedical waste: economics and market trends 207
  18. Chapter 15 Government initiatives and futuristic plans for waste management and revenue generation 219
  19. Chapter 16 Biomedical waste: environmental impacts and sustainable management 231
  20. Chapter 17 Environmental impact of diverse biomedical waste and their sustainable management strategies 261
  21. Chapter 18 Recovery of silver from used X-ray film for Sphingomonas paucimobilis MX8 273
  22. Index 283
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 17.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783111305288-017/html
Scroll to top button