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Physical and Chemical Composition of Hospital Waste

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 June 2016

Chih-Shan Li  and
Fu-Tien Jenq
Chih-Shan Li*
Affiliation:
Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
Fu-Tien Jenq
Affiliation:
Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China
*
Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C
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Abstract

For selecting the most efficient treatment method of hospital waste, the composition analysis is generally considered to be the fundamental information. Currently, there are few studies regarding the characteristics of hospital waste. This study evaluated the physical and elemental composition of the hospital waste at the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). The results should help us design an incinerator for the treatment of infectious waste, plastic syringes, pathological waste, and kitchen waste. During the study period, the estimated daily waste generation rate at NTUH was 4,600 kg/day, which consisted of 4,100 kg/day noninfectious refuse, 340 kg/day infectious waste, 70 kg/day kitchen waste, 50 kg/day pathological waste, and 40 kg/day plastic syringes. The NTUH waste consisted of 99.02% combustible wastes and 0.97% noncombustible wastes by mass. The combustibie wastes constituted paper (16.17%), textiles (9.77%), cardboard, wood, and leaves (1.12%), food waste (21.5 1%), and plastics (50.45%). The noncombustible waste included 0.40% metal and 0.57% glass. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the wastes contained 38% moisture, 4% ashes, and 58% solid with an average heat value of 3,400 kcal/kg. From the elemental analysis, the dominant elements were found to be carbon (34%) and oxygen (15%).

Type
Brief Report
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 14 , Issue 3 , March 1993 , pp. 145 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1993

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