Health and Environmental Impact of Hospital Wastes: Systematic Review

Abstract

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> Healthcare activities are generally associated with the production of healthcare waste, a large part of which is assimilated to household waste (packaging, kitchen waste, green waste, etc.) and another category of waste which may have a risk to health and the environment given its nature and typology. This category of waste at risk includes waste at risk of infection such as stinging, sharp waste (needles, blade, scalpel, etc.), and waste at chemical risk. Poor management of hospital waste is a problem in most countries and especially in developing countries. We aimed to determine the health and environmental impacts of the poor management of healthcare waste. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> We carried out a systematic review of the French and English literature on the scientific research sites Medline/PubMed and Embase. This research was carried out over 3 months (April–June 2020). The search strategy was used by combining keywords and Boolean operators: Health, Health impact assessment, Hospitals, Medical waste, Waste disposal facilities, Environment, Environment/Epidemiology, Hospital waste, impact, workplace, Environment hazards, Healthcare works, Waste management. <b><i>Results:</i></b> It has been clear that the current management of healthcare waste is not capable of adequately preserving human health and environmental contamination from infection. The surveys analyzed showed that if incineration is properly treated, it would be an appropriate treatment method to deal with healthcare waste. However, exposure to pollutants produced by the incineration is still a public health problem. If incineration is seen as a practical solution for dealing with healthcare waste, low-temperature incinerators should be banned and replaced by modern incinerators equipped with air pollution control units. These problems are typical for any developing country which does not have the means to purchase incinerators which are more protective for the environment and equipped with the latest technologies. <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> Thus, autoclaving and microwaves are considered better alternatives for treating healthcare waste. However, these methods are generally not adequate for the disposal of pathological, radioactive, laboratory, and chemotherapy wastes. Therefore, the specific management of healthcare waste is a major concern due to the potentially high risks for human health and the environment.

Development and Application of Integrated Indicators for Assessing Healthcare Waste Management Systems in Kenyan Hospitals

“…The findings indicate that the current management of HCW is not capable of adequately preserving public health and may cause environmental contamination and infection. This finding agrees with [86] who concluded the same from their systematic review on health and environmental impact of hospital wastes. This study agrees with the recommendation made by [77], that the quantities of HCW generation and consequently requirements for its disposal are increasing.…”

Modification of the incinerator to prevent the emission of toxic air pollutant in biomedical waste incineration process at Base Hospital Udugama

“…Therefore, the management of medical waste produced in hospitals or healthcare facilities has raised concerns relating to public health, occupational safety, and the environment [2] . Medical waste incinerators emit toxic air pollutants and toxic ash residues that are the major source of dioxins and furan, carbon monoxide, /hydrogen Chloride, and metals including mercury, lead, arsenic and cadmium [3,4] . Clinical waste has been identified by United Nations…”

Generation rate of hospital solid waste from different services: A case study in the province of Bagua, northern Peru

“…Health facilities are responsible for reducing and preventing the health problems of the population [ 10 ], given that hospital waste can vary significantly between countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, the European Union [ 11 ], and the different varieties of waste generated in health facilities are considered hazardous waste by the Basel Convention and have been classified with the acronym Y1 - Clinical waste resulting from medical care provided in hospitals, medical centers and clinics [ 12 ]. Therefore, these wastes must be properly managed and their mismanagement is a problem in most countries and especially in developing countries [ 13 ].…”