Biohazardous Products Waste Disposal, And Its Management

Environment Services

 The proper treatment, storage, and disposal of cultures and things contaminated with potentially biohazardous products is an important step toward protecting laboratory and physical plant staff from infectious diseases. This waste management method is also required to avoid the spread of potentially infectious agents across the neighborhood. Several federal and state agencies govern the treatment and disposal of biological waste. General instructions for dealing with this waste stream are provided below.


Proper segregation, storage, treatment, and disposal of biohazardous waste is critical not just for compliance with waste standards, but also for reducing worker exposure to potentially infectious items. Exposure happens when potentially infectious substances enter a person's bloodstream via a skin breach or exposure to the eyes, nose, or mouth. Exposure to biohazardous waste handling can include occurrences like:
  • Splashing liquid containing biological material into the eye while pouring off for disposal
  • Puncture the skin using a biologically contaminated needle.
  • Spilling substances from a punctured biohazardous bag onto damaged, unprotected skin.
In the case of an incident involving possibly harmful materials, take the following steps:
  • Wash the bare skin or wash the pores for around 10-15 minutes.
  • Notify both the lab supervisor or manager and the Department of University Safety and Assurances.
  • Contact your doctor to determine whether you need an evaluation and/or therapy.
Handling of Sharps Waste
Sharps are widely acknowledged to be the most hazardous thing in the potentially infectious waste stream. When handling any sharp instrument, whether contaminated or not, exercise extreme caution. To reduce the risk of punctures, all disposable sharps (hypodermic, intravenous, or other types of medical needles and syringes; Pasteur pipettes; scalpel or razor blades; bloodstream vials; glass test tubes and centrifuge tubes; slides for microscopes and coverslips; and any other glassware used in laboratories that have come into contact with infectious agents) must be placed in an approved sharps container immediately after use.

An approved sharps container is leakproof, puncture-resistant, closeable, and has the biohazard symbol. Once filled, the container should be sealed tightly and disposed of using the Hazardous Waste Program.

Solid Non-Sharps Biohazardous Products Waste
All non-sharp laboratory items used in biological studies (e.g., microbes, recombinant DNA, cell cultures, etc.) must be decontaminated before disposal using an approved process, such as autoclaving. Before decontamination, these wastes should be stored in bags marked with the biohazard symbol. When used for trash storage, biohazard bags must be tied in a way that prevents spilling. If a bag is mostly used for disposing of objects that are unlikely to discharge liquids (e.g., pipette tips, Kim wipes), a wire bag rack or sturdy container is a good way to secure the bag and prevent spillage.

If the bag is used to hold objects that are prone to spill liquids and cause leakage, it should be kept in a leak-proof container, such as a garbage can with a lid labeled with the biohazard emblem. When carrying waste bags to the autoclave for treatment, seal the bags with a rubber band, twist knot, or other easily removable closure device and place them in a secondary container, such as a pan or bucket. Whenever possible, use a trolley to transport the bags. After autoclaving, any bag with the biohazard emblem should be placed in a non-transparent polyethylene bag or another secondary non-transparent container (e.g., closed cardboard box, dark-colored trash bag) before being disposed of in regular trash. Bags with the biohazard mark, regardless of use, must not be discarded in the usual garbage dump without defacing the sign or overbagging.

Liquid Biohazardous Products Waste
Human or animal blood and bodily fluids can be discharged into the sanitary sewer without treatment. However, chemical cleaning is suggested before disposal if possible. All other possibly pathogenic liquids (such as growth media and cell line waste) must be autoclaved or chemically treated before being disposed of in the sanitary sewer. Do not autoclave chemically treated waste, as this may provide a chemical exposure risk.

When applying a chemical disinfectant, adhere to the quantity and contact time guidelines on the label provided by the manufacturer. Also, disinfectants are hazardous compounds that may necessitate the use of supplementary personal protective equipment to limit chemical exposure. For further information, consult your product's Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) or seek advice from the Department of University Safety and Assurances.

We care when we share....!

Post a Comment

0 Comments