Defining and managing biohazardous waste in U.S. research-oriented universities: a survey of environmental health and safety professionals.
A survey was conducted of environmental health and safety professionals responsible for biohazardous waste management at 122 institutions. The overall response rate was 82.6 percent (100 out of 122). Results indicate that university policies for biohazardous waste are heavily influenced by state environmental regulations, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Bloodborne Pathogens Standard, and the biosafety guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institutes of Health. With respect to definition of waste, 84 percent of the universities treat non-infectious human-cell-culture waste as biohazardous. Sharp items, including hypodermic needles, syringes with needles, and scalpel blades, are commonly treated (by 85 percent of universities) as biohazardous sharps regardless of contamination status. Importantly, while 90 percent of universities use autoclave sterilization for waste treatment, only 52 percent use a biological indicator to validate the process. On-site incineration is currently used by 42 percent of universities. Twenty-two of 42 incinerators are hospital/medical/infectious-waste incinerators, and 10 of these will continue to operate under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's revised incinerator regulations. Eighty-seven percent of the respondents indicated that some portion of their university's biohazardous waste is treated and disposed of through a licensed medical waste hauler (MWH). To ensure compliance with institutional policy, most universities segregate and package waste, train waste generators, and conduct inspections.
Mecklem
Robin Lyn
RL
Department of Public Health, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331-6406, USA. Cathy.Neumann@orst.edu
Neumann
Catherine M
CM
D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003264:Containment of Biohazards; D003625:Data Collection; D004782:Environmental Health; D015386:Hazardous Substances / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D017745:Incineration; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D012106:Research; D012449:Safety; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities
D015386:Hazardous Substances; D017744:Medical Waste Disposal