Types of Medical Waste

The Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 defines medical waste as "any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals." Medical waste can be identified by one of four different categories: infectious, hazardous, radioactive, and general.

• Infectious waste describes waste that has the possibility of causing infections to humans. It can include human or animal tissue (blood or other body parts), blood soaked bandages, discarded surgical gloves, cultures, stocks, or swabs to inoculate cultures. Much of this category, including human or animal tissue, can also be labeled as pathological waste, which can only be treated using specific methods. Pathological waste is either proven to contain pathogens, or could be perceived as containing pathogens.
• Hazardous waste describes waste that has the possibility to affect humans in non-infectious ways. This type of waste includes sharps, which are generally defined as objects that can puncture or lacerate the skin, but can include needles and syringes, discarded surgical instruments such as scalpels and lancets, culture dishes and other glassware. Hazardous waste can also include chemicals, both medical and industrial. Some hazardous waste can also be considered infectious waste, depending on its usage and exposure to human or animal tissue prior to discard. Old drugs, including chemotherapy agents, are sometimes hazardous.
• Radioactive waste describes waste resulting from nuclear medicine treatments, cancer therapies and medical equipment that uses radioactive isotopes. Pathological waste that is contaminated with radioactive material is treated as radioactive waste rather than infectious waste.
  

General waste makes up at least 85% of all waste generated at medical facilities, and is no different from general household or office waste, and includes paper, plastics, liquids and any other materials that do not fit into the previous three categories.

The World Health Organization classifies medical waste into:

• Sharps
• Infectious
• Pathological
• Radioactive
• Pharmaceuticals
• Others (often sanitary waste produced at hospitals)

Sharp wastes make up most of the volume of medical wastes produced by SQGs. The next highest is blood and body fluids.