Assessment of dental waste management in a Nigerian tertiary hospital

Abstract

This study assessed the practice of disposing of waste from the eight dental clinics of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria. All the cleaners (14) in the hospitals were surveyed through questionnaire. Information obtained from the cleaners included socio-economic characteristics (biodata), personal protection, facilities available for them to work with and job satisfaction. Two soil samples were obtained from the open dump site (0.15 and 0.30 m depth) and two water samples were also collected (at 0.00 and 50.00 m) within the vicinity of the dump site. Both the soil and water samples were taken to the central science laboratory for chemical analyses. Ten (71.4%) of the 14 cleaners were not satisfied with their job. The laboratory findings suggested a very high content of lead, chromium, mercury, cadmium and manganese in both soil and water samples in comparison with the Nigerian Federal Environmental Protection Agency standards. The study concludes that the use of tooth-coloured restorative materials and digital X-ray facility to serve as alternatives to the generation of these wastes is recommended and that farming activities should not be allowed in the area until an audit of the soil and water have been performed.

Assessment of healthcare waste generation and its management systems: A prevalence survey of the healthcare facilities in Madagascar

“…Improper MW management results in adverse effects on the environment and the public health [5]. Numerous studies have reported that the inappropriate handling and disposal of HCW poses health risks to health workers who may be directly exposed and to people near health facilities, particularly children and scavengers who may become exposed to infectious waste and a higher risk of diseases like hepatitis and HIV/AIDS [6][7][8]. For instance, 5.2 million people including 4 million children are reported to die annually from MW-related diseases [9].…”

Characterisation of Dental Waste in Tertiary Dental Hospitals: A Third World Example

“…Dental waste has been demonstrated to contribute significantly to pollution of the environment if poorly treated [12] and that it can lead to cross-infection risks [13] such as deadly HIV and Hepatitis among others [14]. Heavy metals such as Chromium, Cadmium and Amalgam are frequently generated from the dental hospitals and are known to be hazardous.…”

“…There are various current ways to manage dental waste, this include reduction of waste generated, this is done by eliminating or substituting substances that increase or expose individuals to health risks e.g. use of digital X-rays compared to the conventional film, developer/fixer combination [12]. Another way is to segregate and recycle useful materials from the dental waste such as mercury from amalgam, Silver from fixer/ developer.…”

Evidence summary: can plastics used in dentistry act as an environmental pollutant? Can we avoid the use of plastics in dental practice?

“…There was one potentially relevant study on assessment of dental waste management in a Nigerian tertiary hospital but this did not provide specific data on plastic waste or effectiveness of environmental audit. 8 There were no studies describing the effectiveness of environmental audit in a dental practice.…”