Treatment of clinical solid waste using a steam autoclave as a possible alternative technology to incineration.
A steam autoclave was used to sterilize bacteria in clinical solid waste in order to determine an alternative to incineration technology in clinical solid waste management. The influence of contact time (0, 5, 15, 30 and 60 min) and temperature (111 °C, 121 °C and 131 °C) at automated saturated steam pressure was investigated. Results showed that with increasing contact time and temperature, the number of surviving bacteria decreased. The optimum experimental conditions as measured by degree of inactivation of bacteria were 121 °C for 15 minutes (min) for Gram negative bacteria, 121 °C and 131 °C for 60 and 30 min for Gram positive bacteria, respectively. The re-growth of bacteria in sterilized waste was also evaluated in the present study. It was found that bacterial re-growth started two days after the inactivation. The present study recommends that the steam autoclave cannot be considered as an alternative technology to incineration in clinical solid waste management.
Department of Environmental Technology, School of Industrial Technology, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Penang, Malaysia. msh.id09@student.usm.my
Md Sohrab
MS
Hossain
Venugopal
V
Balakrishnan
Nik Norulaini Nik Ab
NN
Rahman
Md Zaidul Islam
MZ
Sarker
Mohd Omar Ab
MO
Kadir
D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D017745:Incineration; D008506:Medical Waste; D011312:Pressure; D013227:Steam; D013242:Sterilization / Q000379:methods*; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors
D008506:Medical Waste; D013227:Steam