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Contents
Articles
Municipal solid waste 1
Landfill gas 3
Landfill gas monitoring 6
Landfill gas migration 9
Biomedical waste 9

References
Article Sources and Contributors 12
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 13

Article Licenses
License 14
Municipal solid waste 1

Municipal solid waste

Municipal solid waste (MSW), commonly known as
trash or garbage, is a waste type consisting of everyday
items we consume and discard. It predominantly
includes food wastes, yard wastes, containers and
product packaging, and other miscellaneous inorganic
wastes from residential, commercial, institutional, and
industrial sources.[1] Examples of inorganic wastes are
appliances, newspapers, clothing, food scrapes, boxes,
disposable tableware, office and classroom paper,
furniture, wood pallets, rubber tires, and cafeteria
wastes. Municipal solid waste does not include
Mixed municipal waste, Hiriya, Tel Aviv
industrial wastes, agricultural wastes, and sewage
sludge.[2] The collection is performed by the
municipality within a given area. They are in either solid or semisolid form. The term residual waste relates to waste
left from household sources containing materials that have not been separated out or sent for reprocessing.[3]
Following are the different types of wastes.

• Biodegradable waste: food and kitchen waste, green waste, paper (can also be recycled).
• Recyclable material: paper, glass, bottles, cans, metals, certain plastics, etc.
• Inert waste: construction and demolition waste, dirt, rocks, debris.
• Composite wastes: waste clothing, Tetra Packs, waste plastics such as toys.
• Domestic hazardous waste (also called "household hazardous waste") & toxic waste: medication, e-waste, paints,
chemicals, light bulbs, fluorescent tubes, spray cans, fertilizer and pesticide containers, batteries, shoe polish.

The functional elements of solid waste

The municipal solid waste industry has four components: recycling, composting, landfilling, and waste-to-energy via
incineration. [4] The primary steps are generation, collection, sorting and separation, transfer, and disposal.

Waste generation
Waste generation encompasses activities in which materials are identified as no longer being of value and are either
thrown out or gathered together for disposal.

Collection
The functional element of collection includes not only the gathering of solid waste and recyclable materials, but also
the transport of these materials, after collection, to the location where the collection vehicle is emptied. This location
may be a materials processing facility, a transfer station or a landfill disposal site.
Municipal solid waste 2

Waste handling and separation, storage and processing at the source

Waste handling and separation involves activities associated with waste management until the waste is placed in
storage containers for collection. Handling also encompasses the movement of loaded containers to the point of
collection. Separating different types of waste components is an important step in the handling and storage of solid
waste at the source.

Separation and processing and transformation of solid wastes

The types of means and facilities that are now used for the recovery of waste materials that have been separated at
the source include curbside collection, drop off and buy back centers. The separation and processing of wastes that
have been separated at the source and the separation of commingled wastes usually occur at a materials recovery
facility, transfer stations, combustion facilities and disposal sites.

Transfer and transport

This element involves two main steps. First, the waste is transferred from a smaller collection vehicle to larger
transport equipment. The waste is then transported, usually over long distances, to a processing or disposal site.

Disposal
Today the disposal of wastes by land filling or land spreading is the ultimate fate of all solid wastes, whether they are
residential wastes collected and transported directly to a landfill site, residual materials from materials recovery
facilities (MRFs), residue from the combustion of solid waste, compost or other substances from various solid waste
processing facilities. A modern sanitary landfill is not a dump; it is an engineered facility used for disposing of solid
wastes on land without creating nuisances or hazards to public health or safety, such as the breeding of insects and
the contamination of ground water.

Energy Generation
Municipal solid waste can be used to generate energy. Several technologies have been developed that make the
processing of MSW for energy generation cleaner and more economical than ever before, including landfill gas
capture, combustion, pyrolysis, gasification, and plasma arc gasification.[5] While older waste incineration plants
emitted high levels of pollutants, recent regulatory changes and new technologies have significantly reduced this
concern. EPA regulations in 1995 and 2000 under the Clean Air Act have succeeded in reducing emissions of
dioxins from waste-to-energy facilities by more than 99 percent below 1990 levels, while mercury emissions have
been by over 90 percent.[6] The EPA noted these improvements in 2003, citing waste-to-energy as a power source
“with less environmental impact than almost any other source of electricity.”[7]

References
[1] Nonhazardous Waste (http:/ / www. epa. gov/ osw/ nonhaz/ municipal/ ) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Municipal Solid Waste
[2] Municipal Solid Waste (http:/ / www. eia. doe. gov/ cneaf/ solar. renewables/ page/ mswaste/ msw. html) U.S. Energy Information
Administration
[3] Mechanical Biological Treatment (http:/ / www. countryside. wales. gov. uk/ fe/ master. asp?n1=366& n2=213& n3=896) Welsh Assembly
(2005) Mechanical Biological Treatment, Environment Countryside and Planning Website, Welsh Assembly
[4] Nonhazardous waste (http:/ / www. eia. doe. gov/ cneaf/ solar. renewables/ page/ mswaste/ msw. html) U.S. Energy Information
Administration
[5] Environmental and Energy Study Institute Issue Brief (http:/ / www. eesi. org/ files/ eesi_msw_issuebrief_072109. pdf)
[6] Combustion Emissions from Hazardous Waste Incinerators, Boilers and Industrial Furnaces,and Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators- Results
from Five STAR Grants and Research Needs U.S. EPA (http:/ / www. epa. gov/ ncer/ publications/ research_results_needs/
combustionEmmissionsReport. pdf)
[7] U.S. EPA Letter to Maria Zannes, President, Integrated Waste Services Association (http:/ / www. wte. org/ userfiles/ file/ epaletter. pdf)
Municipal solid waste 3

External Links
• "Environmentally Sound Managment of Solid Wastes and Sewage-Related Issues" (http://www.unep.org/
documents.multilingual/default.asp?DocumentID=52&ArticleID=69&l=en). United Nations Environment
Programme. Retrieved 2011-02-23.

Landfill gas
Landfill gas is created by the action of microorganisms within a landfill.

Production
Landfill gas production results from chemical reactions and microbes acting upon the waste as the putrescible
materials begins to break down[1] in the landfill. The rate of production is affected by waste composition and landfill
geometry, which in turn influence the bacterial populations within it, chemical make-up, thermal characteristics,
entry of moisture and escape of gas. [2]
The spatially heterogeneous nature of most landfills means that there will be a wide range of physical conditions and
biological ecosystems co-existing simultaneously within most sites. This heterogeneity, together with the frequently
unclear nature of the contents, makes landfill gas production more difficult to predict and control than standard
industrial bioreactors for sewage treatment.
Due to the constant production of landfill gas, the increase in pressure within the landfill (together with differential
diffusion) causes the gas's release into the atmosphere. Such emissions lead to important environmental, hygiene and
security problems in the landfill.[3] [4] Several accidents have occurred, for example at Loscoe, England in 1986,[5]
where migrating landfill gas which was allowed to build up destroyed the property. An accident causing two deaths
occurred from an explosion in a house adjacent to Skellingsted landfill in Denmark in 1991.[6] Due to the risk
presented by landfill gas there is a clear need to monitor gas produced by landfills. In addition to the risk of fire and
explosion, gas migration in the subsurface can result in contact of landfill gas with groundwater. This in turn can
result in contamination of groundwater by organic compounds present in nearly all landfill gas.[7]
Landfill gas is approximately forty to sixty percent methane, with the remainder being mostly carbon dioxide.
Landfill gas also contains varying amounts of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, sulfur, and other contaminants. Most of
these other contaminants are known as "non-methane organic compounds" or NMOCs. Some inorganic contaminants
(for example mercury) are also known to be present in landfill gas. There are sometimes also contaminants (for
example tritium) found in landfill gas. The non-methane organic compounds usually make up less than one percent
of landfill gas. In 1991, the EPA identified ninety-four non-methane organic compounds including toxic chemicals
like benzene, toluene, chloroform, vinyl chloride, and carbon tetrachloride. At least forty one of the non-methane
organic compounds are halogenated compounds (chemicals containing halogens: typically chlorine, fluorine, or
bromine). General options for managing landfill gas are: flaring, boiler (makes heat), internal combustion engine
(makes electricity), gas turbine (makes electricity), fuel cell (makes electricity), convert the methane to methyl
alcohol, clean it enough to pipe it to other industries or into natural gas lines.[8]
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that there are approximately six thousand landfills in the United
States. Most of these landfills are composed of municipal waste, and therefore producing methane. These landfills
are the largest source of anthropogenic methane emissions in the United States. These landfills will contribute an
estimated four hundred and fifty to six hundred and fifty billion cubic feet of methane per year (in 2000).[9]
Landfill gas 4

Monitoring
Some of the gases produced by landfills are hazardous and monitoring techniques have been developed. Flame
ionization detectors, like the Photovac MicroFID can be used to measure methane levels as well as total VOC levels.
Surface monitoring and sub-surface monitoring as well as monitoring of the ambient air is carried out. Under the
Clean Air Act of 1996, it is required that many large landfills install gas collection and control systems, which means
that at the very least the facilities must collect and flare the gas. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that
another 600 landfills could support gas to energy projects. The Environmental Protection Agency has also
established the Landfill Methane Outreach Program. This program was developed to reduce methane emissions from
landfills in a cost-effective manner by encouraging the development of environmentally and economically beneficial
landfill gas-to-energy projects.[10]
Federal regulations under Subtitle D of RCRA formed in October 1979 regulate the siting, design, construction,
operation, monitoring, and closure of MSW landfills. Subtitle D now requires controls on the migration of methane
in landfill gas. Monitoring requirements must be met at landfills during their operation, and also an additional 30
years after. The landfills affected by Subtitle D of RCRA are required to control gas by establishing a way to check
for methane emissions periodically and therefore prevent off-site migration. Landfill owners and operators must
make sure the concentration of methane gas does not exceed 25% of the EL for methane in the facilities' structures
and the LEL for methane at the facility boundary.[11]

Landfill gas migration

Landfill gas migration due to pressure differentials and diffusion can occur. This can create an explosion hazard if
the gas reaches sufficiently high concentrations in adjacent buildings.

Landfill gas use

The gases produced within the landfill can be collected and flared off or used to produce heat or electricity. The City
of Sioux Falls, South Dakota installed a landfill gas collection system which collects, cools, dries, and compresses
the gas into an 11-mile pipeline. The gas is then used to power an ethanol plant operated by POET Biorefining. The
number of landfill gas projects, which convert the methane gas that is emitted from decomposing garbage into
power, went from three hundred and ninety nine in 2005, to five hundred and nineteen in 2009 according to the
Environmental Protection Agency. These projects are popular because they control energy costs and reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. These projects collect the methane gas (which is released with twenty times the global
warming potential of carbon dioxide) and treat it so it can be used for electricity or upgraded to pipeline-grade gas.
These projects power homes, buildings, and vehicles.[12]
Waste Management uses landfill gas as an energy source. Their landfill gas-to-energy projects create enough energy
to power four hundred thousand homes every day. This energy production offsets almost two million tons of coal per
year. These projects also reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Waste Management currently has
110 landfill gas-to-energy facilities.[13]
Landfill gas 5

Opposition
Large projects often cost millions of dollars. Some environmental groups claim that the projects do not produce
renewable power because trash (their source) is not renewable. The Sierra Club opposes any government subsidies
for them.[14] The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) believes that government incentives should be
directed more towards solar, wind, and energy-efficiency efforts.

Environmental effects
Landfill gases have an influence on climate change. The major components are CO2 and methane, both of which are
greenhouse gas.

Microbial oxidation
When landfill gas permeates through a soil cover, a fraction of the methane in the gas is oxidized microbially to
CO2.[15]

References
[1] Burdekin, O. (2003) An investigation into the continuous monitoring of landfill gas and the commercial viability of the Intelysis landfill gas
monitor, Manchester University, Unpublished thesis
[2] DoE Report CWM039A+B/92 (http:/ / users. ox. ac. uk/ ~ayoung/ landfill. html) Young, A. (1992)
[3] Brosseau, J. (1994) Trace gas compound emissions from municipal landfill sanitary sites; Atmospheric-Environment 28 (2), 285-293
[4] Christensen, T. H., Cossu, R. & Stegmann, R. (1999) Landfilling of waste: Biogas
[5] Williams and Aitkenhead (1991) Lessons from Loscoe: The uncontrolled migration of landfill gas; The Quarterly Journal of Engineering
Geology 24 (2), 191-207
[6] Danish EPA (http:/ / www2. mst. dk/ common/ Udgivramme/ Frame. asp?pg=http:/ / www2. mst. dk/ Udgiv/ publikationer/ 2001/
87-7944-831-3/ html/ kap30. htm)
[7] Kerfoot, H.B., Chapter 3.5 In Christensen, T. H., Cossu, R. & Stegmann, R. (1999)Landfilling of waste: Biogas
[8] "Primer on Landfill Gas as "Green Energy"" (http:/ / www. energyjustice. net/ lfg/ ). Energy Justice Network. . Retrieved 2010-04-25.
[9] "Landfill Gas" (http:/ / www. gassep. com/ lfg. htm). Gas Separation Technology LLC. . Retrieved 2010-04-26.
[10] "Landfill Gas" (http:/ / www. gassep. com/ lfg. htm). Gas Separation Technology LLC. . Retrieved 2010-04-26.
[11] "Landfill Gas Control Measures" (http:/ / www. atsdr. cdc. gov/ hac/ landfill/ html/ ch5. html). Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease
Registry. . Retrieved 2010-04-26.
[12] Koch, Wendy (2010-02-25). "Landfill Projects on the rise" (http:/ / www. usatoday. com/ money/ industries/ energy/
2010-02-24-landfill-energy_N. htm). USA Today. . Retrieved 2010-04-25.
[13] "Landfill Gas to Energy" (http:/ / www. thinkgreen. com/ landfill-gas-to-energy). Waste Management. . Retrieved 2010-04-26-2010.
[14] Koch, Wendy (2010-02-25). "Landfill Projects on the rise" (http:/ / www. usatoday. com/ money/ industries/ energy/
2010-02-24-landfill-energy_N. htm). USA Today. . Retrieved 2010-04-25.
[15] Scheutz, C., Kjeldsen, P., Bogner, J.E., De Visscher, A., Gebert, J., Hilger, H.A. & Spokas, K. (2009) Microbial methane oxidation
processes and technologies for mitigation of landfill gas emissions. Waste Manage. Res. 27:409-455.

External links
• "Primer on Landfill Gas as "Green Energy"" (http://www.energyjustice.net/lfg/). Energy Justice Network.
Retrieved 2010-04-25.
• Koch, Wendy (2010-02-25). "Landfill Projects on the rise" (http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/
energy/2010-02-24-landfill-energy_N.htm). USA Today. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
• "Landfill Gas to Energy" (http://www.thinkgreen.com/landfill-gas-to-energy). Waste Management. Retrieved
2010-04-26-2010.
• "Landfill Gas" (http://www.gassep.com/lfg.htm). Gas Separation Technology LLC. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
• "Landfill Gas Control Measures" (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/landfill/html/ch5.html). Agency for Toxic
Substances & Disease Registry. Retrieved 2010-04-26.
Landfill gas monitoring 6

Landfill gas monitoring

Landfill gas monitoring is the process by which gases that are released from landfills are electronically monitored.

Techniques for the monitoring of landfill gas

Surface monitoring is used to check the integrity of caps on waste and check on borehole monitoring. It may give
preliminay indications of the migration of gas off-site. The typical regulatory limit of methane is 500 parts per
million (ppm) by volume (in California, AB 32 may push this limit down to 200 ppm). In the UK the limit for a final
landfill cap is 1*10-3 milligrams per square metre per second, and for a temporary cap it is 1*10-1 mg/m2/s ( as
measured using the Environment Agency's " Guidance on Monitoring landfill gas surface emissions " LFTGN 07,
EA 2004 ). Surface monitoring can be broken down into Instantaneous and Integrated. Instantaneous monitoring
consists of walking over the surface of the landfill, while carrying a flame ionization detector (FID), like the
Photovac MicroFID. Integrated consists of walking over the surface of the landfill, while pumping a sample into a
bag. The sample is then read with a FID or sent to a lab for full analysis. Integrated regulatory limits tend to be 50
ppm or less.
Gas probes, also known as perimeter or migration probes, are used for Subsurface monitoring and detect gas
concentrations in the local environment around the probe. Sometimes multiple probes are used at different depths at
a single point. Probes typically form a ring around a landfill. The distance between probes varies but rarely exceedes
300 metres. The typical regulatory limit of methane here is 50,000 parts per million (ppm) by volume, or 1%
methane and 1.5% carbon dioxide above geological background levels in the UK ( see " Guidance on the monitoring
of Landfill Gas " LFTGN03, EA 2004).
Ambient air samplers are used to monitor the air around a landfill for excessive amounts of methane and other
gases. The principal odoriferous compounds are hydrogen sulfide ( which is also toxic ) and the majority of a
population exposed to more than 5 parts per billion will complain ( World Health Organisation : WHO (2000) as
well as volatile organic acids. Air quality guidelines for Europe, 2nd ed. Copenhagen, World Health Organization
Regional Publications, European Series).
Monitoring of the landfill gas itself can be used diagnostically. When there is concern regarding the possibility of an
ongoing subsurface oxidation event, or landfill fire, the presence in the landfill gas of compounds that are more
stable at the high temperatures of such an event ( above 500 deg C ) can be evidence for such a process occurring.
The presence of propene, which can be formed from propane at temperatures above several hundred degrees C,
supports high temperatures. The presence of elevated concentrations of dihydrogen (H2) in the landfill gas is also
consistent with elevated temperatures at remote locations some distance from the gas-extraction well. The presence
of H2 is consistent with thermal inactivation of CO2-reducing microbes, which normally combine all H2 produced by
fermentation of organic acids with CO2 to form methane (CH4). H2-producing microbes are less
temperature-sensitive than CO2-reducing microbes so that elevated temperatures can inactivate them and their
recovery can be delayed over the H2-producers. This can result in H2 production without the (usually )corresponding
consumption, resulting in elevated concentrations of H2 in the landfill gas (up to >25%[v:v] at some sites). Thermal
deactivation of CO2-reducing microbes has been used to produce CO2 (rather than methane) from municipal solid
waste (Yu, et al., 2002).
Landfill gas monitoring 7

Types of landfill gas monitoring

A monitor may be either a
• Single reading monitor, giving point readings for landfill gas composition, or a
• Continuous gas monitor, that remain in boreholes and give continuous readings over time for landfill gas
composition and production.

Techniques for establishing landfill gas (rather than liquid) as the source of
volatile organic compounds in groundwater samples
Several techniques have been developed for evaluating whether landfill gas (rather than leachate) is the source of
volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in groundwater samples.[1] Leachate water frequently has elevated levels of
tritium compared to background groundwater and a leachate (water) release would increase tritium levels in affected
groundwater samples, while landfill gas has been shown not to do so. Although landfill gas components can react
with minerals and alter inorganic constituents present in groundwater samples such as alkalinity, calcium , and
magnesium, a frequent major leachate constituent, chloride, can be used to evaluate whether leachate has affected the
sample.
Highly soluble VOCs, such as MtBE, diethyl ether, and tetrahydrofuran, are evidence of leachate effects, since they
are too water-soluble to migrate in landfill gas. The presence of highly soluble semi-volatile organic compounds,
such as phenols, are also consistent with leachate effects on the sample. Elevated concentrations of dissolved CO2
have been shown to be a symptom of landfill gas effects - This is because not all of the CO2 in landfill gas reacts
immediately with aquifer minerals, while such reactions are complete in leachate due to the presence of soils as daily
cover in the waste. To assess whether VOCs are partitioning into groundwater in a specific location, such as a
monitoring well, the headspace gas and dissolved VOC concentrations can be compared. If the Henry's Law constant
multiplied by the water concentration is significantly less than the measured gas concentration, the data are
consistent with VOCs partitioning from landfill gas into the groundwater.

[2]
Typical landfill gas composition %(dry volume basis)a

Methane, CH4 45-60

Carbon dioxide, CO2 40-60

Nitrogen, N2 2-5

Oxygen, O2 0.1-1.0

Sulphides, disulphides, mercaptans etc. 0-1.0

Ammonia, NH3 0.1-1.0

hydrogen, H2 0-0.2

carbon monoxide, CO 0-0.2

Trace constituents 0.01-0.6

a
Exact percentage distribution will vary with the age of the landfill
Landfill gas monitoring 8

Typical problems
Most landfills are highly heterogeneous environments, both physically and biologically, and the gas composition
sampled can vary radically within a few metres. [3]
Near-surface monitoring is additionally vulnerable over short time periods to weather effects. As the atmospheric
pressure rises, the rate of gas escape from the landfill is reduced and may even become negative, with the possibility
of oxygen incursion into the upper layers (an analogous effect occurs in the composition of water at the mouth of an
estuary as the sea tide rises and falls). Differential diffusion and gas solubility (varying strongly with temperature
and pH) further complicates this behaviour. Tunnelling effects, whereby large items (including monitoring
boreholes) create bypass shortcuts into the interior of the landfill, can extend this variability to greater depths in
localised zones. Such phenomena can give the impression that bioactivity and gas composition is changing much
more radically and rapidly than is actually the case, and any series of isolated time-point measurements is likely to
be unreliable due to this variance.
Landfill gas often contains significant corrosives such as hydrogen sulphide and sulphur dioxide, and these will
shorten the lifespan of most monitoring equipment as they react with moisture (this is also a problem for landfill gas
utilization schemes).
Physical settlement as waste decomposes makes borehole monitoring systems vulnerable to breakage as the weight
of the material shifts and fractures equipment.

References
[1] Kerfoot, H.B., Chapter 3.5 In Christensen, T. H., Cossu, R. & Stegmann, R. (1999)Landfilling of waste: Biogas
[2] George Tchobanoglous, et al(1993). "Integrated Solid Waste Management - Engineering Principles and Management Issues", MCGraw-Hill
International Editions. Pg.382
[3] DoE Report CWM039A+B/92 (http:/ / users. ox. ac. uk/ ~ayoung/ landfill. html) Young, A. (1992)

External links
• California Integrated Waste Management Board policy (http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/LEACentral/LandfillGas/
Monitoring/Screening/default.htm)
Landfill gas migration 9

Landfill gas migration

Landfill gas will migrate from a site via diffusion (moving to areas of low gas concentrations around a landfill) and
pressure differences in the soil. This is also effected by the permeability of the ground and other factors such as
cavities, pipes and tunnels. Changes in atmospheric pressure [1] and the water table can encourage this migration.
These gases can include methane, carbon dioxide, hydrogen and volatile organic compounds (there are
approximately 500 others that can be present in trace forms) from the waste on site and its degradation over time.
Steps must be taken to prevent this migration from the landfill site as it might enter buildings in the vicinity. This can
be done on the site by means of combinations of geomembranes and clay based products, see gas protection.
This also means that if building is to take place near an existing landfill then if required method of preventing ingress
of gases to the premises is required, if there a migration of gas occurring (discovered in site survey).
Gas protection for buildings should consist of an impermeable gas membrane and also a layer where the gas will
collect and be vented in a controlled manner.
Guidance for this in the U.K can be found in CIRCA 665 and also BS 8485 and Title 40 of the United State Code of
Federal Regulations, parts 239 through 282. This subchapter, I, was initially promulgated in 1976 and is also known
as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act.

References
CIRCA 665 and BS8485
[1] (http:/ / users. ox. ac. uk/ ~ayoung/ landfill. html) Young, A. (1992), DoE Report CWM039A+B/92

Biomedical waste
Biomedical waste consists of solids, liquids, sharps, and laboratory waste that are potentially infectious or
dangerous and are considered biowaste. It must be properly managed to protect the general public, specifically
healthcare and sanitation workers who are regularly exposed to biomedical waste as an occupational hazard.
Biomedical waste differs from other types of hazardous waste, such as industrial waste, in that it comes from
biological sources or is used in the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of diseases. Common producers of biomedical
waste include hospitals, health clinics, nursing homes, medical research laboratories, offices of physicians, dentists,
and veterinarians, home health care, and funeral homes.

Components
The following is a list of materials that are generally considered biomedical waste:

Solids
• Catheters and tubes[1]
• Disposable gowns, masks,[1] and scrubs
• Disposable tools, such as some scalpels and surgical staplers
• Medical gloves[1] [2]
• Surgical sutures and staples
• Wound dressings[1]
Biomedical waste 10

Liquids
• Blood[1] [2]
• Body fluids and tissues[1] [2]
• Cell, organ,[1] and tissue[1] cultures

Sharps
• Blades, such as razor or scalpel blades[1] [2]
• Lancets[1] [3]
• Materials made of glass, such as cuvettes and slides[1] [2]
• Metal stylets
• Needles[1] [2]
• Plastic pipettes and tips[1] [2]
• Syringes[2]

Laboratory waste
• Animal carcasses[1] [2]
• Hazardous chemicals with biological components[2]
• Media[2]
• Medicinal plants
• Radioactive material with biological components[2]
• Supernatants[2]
• Syringes

Exceptions
Cadavers, urine, faeces, and cytotoxic drugs are not considered biomedical waste.[1]

Biomedical Waste Management

Sorting of medical wastes in hospital.At the site where it is generated, biomedical waste is placed in
specially-labelled bags and containers for removal by biomedical waste transporters. Other forms of waste should
not be mixed with biomedical waste as different rules apply to the treatment of different types of waste.
Household biomedical waste usually consists of needles and syringes from drugs administered at home (such as
insulin), soiled wound dressings, disposable gloves, and bedsheets or other cloths that have come into contact with
bodily fluids.[3] Disposing of these materials with regular household garbage puts waste collectors at risk for injury
and infection especially from sharps as they can easily puncture a standard household garbage bag. Many
communities have programs in place for the disposal of household biomedical waste. Some waste treatment facilities
also have mail-in disposal programs. Biomedical waste treatment facilities are licensed by the local governing body
which maintains laws regarding the operation of these facilities. The laws ensure that the general public is protected
from contamination of air, soil,groundwater, or municipal water supply. One company, BioMedical Technology
Solutions, Inc. [4], offers a green alternative to haul-away services for disposal of biomedical waste. The Company's
desktop unit, the Demolizer® II [5], is the only patented, portable, and self-contained system able to process both
sharps and typical red bag biomedical waste onsite. Upon processing the biomedical waste in the unit, all regulatory
paperwork is printed from the system and the waste is able to be disposed of as common trash.
Biomedical waste 11

Protection from Biomedical Waste

Wash your hands with soap and warm water after handling biomedical waste. Also, wash all areas of your body with
soap and water that you think may have come into contact with biomedical waste, even if you are not sure your body
actually touched the biomedical waste.
• Keep all sores and cuts covered.
• Immediately replace wet bandages with clean, dry bandages.
• Wear disposable latex gloves when handling biomedical waste. Discard the gloves immediately after use.
• Wear an apron or another type of cover to protect your clothes from contact with the waste. If your clothes
become soiled, put on fresh clothes, and take a shower, if possible.
• Launder or throw away clothes soiled with biomedical waste.
• Promptly clean and disinfect soiled, hard-surfaced floors by using a germicidal or bleach solution and mopping up
with paper towels.
• Clean soiled carpets. First blot up as much of the spill as possible with paper towels and put the soiled paper
towels in a plastic lined, leak-proof container. Then try one of the following:
• Steam clean the carpet with an extraction method.
• Scrub the carpet with germicidal rug shampoo and a brush. Soak the brush used for scrubbing in a disinfectant
solution and rinse the brush. Let the carpet dry, and then vacuum it.
• Never handle syringes, needles, or lancets with your hands. Use a towel, shovel, and/or broom and a dustpan to
pick up these sharp objects. Dispose of them in a plastic soda pop bottle with a cap. Tape down the bottle cap.
Then throw the bottle in the trash.

References
[1] Maine Department of Environmental Protection. "Biomedical Waste Management Rules" (http:/ / maine. gov/ dep/ rwm/ rules/ pdf/
chapter900effectiveaugust_4_2008. pdf). . Retrieved 2008-12-21.
[2] MIT EHS. "Biomedical Waste" (http:/ / web. mit. edu/ environment/ ehs/ biomed. html). . Retrieved 2008-12-21.
[3] Florida Division of Environmental Health. "Biomedical Waste" (http:/ / www. doh. state. fl. us/ environment/ community/ biomedical/ index.
html). . Retrieved 2008-12-21.
[4] http:/ / www. bmtscorp. com
[5] http:/ / bmtscorp. com/ brochures. htm
Article Sources and Contributors 12

Article Sources and Contributors

Municipal solid waste  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=415571222  Contributors: 2over0, A Stop at Willoughby, Accurizer, Anna Lincoln, Arch dude, Arcturus, Ashankar,
Beland, Benmical619, Brighterorange, Brijeshkrishnan, CT Cooper (alternate account), Canderson7, Chris83, Ciphers, Circeus, DeadEyeArrow, Dickhead666, EurekaLott, Falcon8765, Feydey,
Geniac, Ghettoblaster, HamburgerRadio, Hmains, Impala2009, Ivysaur, Joseph Solis in Australia, Kingzt3, Kjkolb, Kurtan, Lab-oratory, Lmissik, Mac, Macrakis, Malimbar04, Marcus Brute,
Neelix, NeilN, Nice.way, Nickenge, Nposs, Optimale, PhilKnight, Pol098, RadioFan, RameshSatyam, Rjwilmsi, Sidonuke, Skylerorlando, SteinbDJ, Stentie, Supposed, Taggard, Tanthalas39,
Timichal, Tintazul, TransUtopian, Ubikk, Verne Equinox, Violet Marie, Vortexrealm, Walter1975, Wavelength, Wikid77, Wikipelli, Wombatcat, Xb-70, Спам, 128 anonymous edits

Landfill gas  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=412758644  Contributors: Alan Liefting, Alexdevisscher, Baeksu, Chemicalinterest, EldridgeProductsInc, Engineman, Fabartus,
Flumstead, Fraggle81, Kinnison, Kjkolb, Kwelshlo, Leary87512, Mion, N419BH, NawlinWiki, Photovac, Qsecofr, Quarak, Rdsmith4, Ropable, Simsliz, Tangerineduel, Teratornis, 21
anonymous edits

Landfill gas monitoring  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=410513937  Contributors: Ahoerstemeier, Alan Liefting, Aphex140, Bachrach44, Baeksu, Barefootmatt, CPAScott,
CanisRufus, Darklilac, Element16, Fcjohn, Francophile124, Gobonobo, Hkerfoot, Kinnison, Materialscientist, Mild Bill Hiccup, Mishagam, Phoenix-wiki, Photovac, Rich257, Sais571984,
Theodore Kloba, Vortexrealm, 19 anonymous edits

Landfill gas migration  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=342076676  Contributors: Aphex140, COMPFUNK2, Dlwr300, 6 anonymous edits

Biomedical waste  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=414863586  Contributors: Camille stevenson, DivineAlpha, EmergingBiotechs, J04n, Jason Quinn, Mindmatrix, Misarxist,
PMDrive1061, Pinethicket, Rjwilmsi, Rui Silva, Schmidtja, Traveler100, Twirligig, Vegaswikian, Vortexrealm, Wavelength, Whododola, Wsonnier, 22 anonymous edits
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors 13

Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:Mixed municipal waste.JPG  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Mixed_municipal_waste.JPG  License: Creative Commons Attribution-Sharealike 2.5  Contributors:
Alex Marshall 2004, Clarke Energy Ltd
License 14

License
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
http:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/