What is Bio-medical Waste?

A hospital is an institution visited by people of any age, sex, & religion when they are medically unfit. The waste that arises from an institution like hospitals, health care facilities, and blood banks, is known as hospital waste or biomedical waste. Biomedical waste or hospital waste is a special category of waste that is dangerous due to its hazardous and infectious nature in comparison to other waste that’s why biomedical is treated separately in a common biomedical waste treatment & disposal facility.

According to Biomedical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2016 of India “A waste that is generated during the medical treatment of living beings or in research purposes or in the production or testing biological” is a biomedical waste. 

Categories of Biomedical waste:

According to Biomedical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2016 of India there are 10 categories of biomedical waste; every category is treated and disposed according to their composition of waste. 

Why it is necessary to treat biomedical waste?

Serious health hazards are associated with biomedical waste, if not treated properly. Untreated biomedical waste leads to the spread of infectious disease in humans & animals, it also pollutes the environment. It can cause water pollution, soil pollution, air pollution, and when the living beings are exposed to this polluted environment, they eventually get infected. At present, people are not aware of the hazards associated with biomedical waste & they also need to know the importance of biomedical waste management. Lack of awareness is also a reason for improper management of Biomedical Waste Management.

So, for the proper management of biomedical waste government came up with the idea of Common Biomedical Waste Treatment & Disposal Facility 

What is a Common Biomedical Waste Treatment & Disposal Facility & what is the importance of this facility?

A Common Biomedical Waste Treatment & Disposal Facility or in simple words a biomedical waste management plant is a set up where biomedical waste generated from member health care facilities is treated to reduce the negative effect that can harm human health and environment. The treated waste finally sent for disposal in a secured landfill.

According to the Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016, "bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facility" means any place where treatment, disposal of bio-medical waste is carried out.

The CBWTFs are also required to work in a manner that ensures environmentally sound management of bio-medical with less impact on human health and the environment.

In India if someone wants to set up a Biomedical Waste Treatment Plant then, he has to fulfil some criteria that are issued by the Government and are updated time to time by the CPCB. At present there are 192 no. of CBWTFs in operation and 33 no. of CBWTFs are under construction. Also, the Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 mandates that the operator of a CBWTF It is the responsibility of the occupier of the CBWTF to take all necessary steps to ensure that the bio-medical waste collected from the generator is transported, handled, stored, treated and disposed of, without any adverse effect to the human health and the environment.

Location criteria

• A CBWTF shall be developed in an industrial area.
• A CBWTF shall be located at a distance of not less than 500 m from areas where humans live and sensitive area so that it shall have minimal impact on these areas.
• If a land doesn’t have a buffer zone distance of 500 m from the notified residential area then it can be reduced but not less than 250 m.

Land requirement

To construct a CBWTF sufficient land has to be there so that all requisite systems have their own space.

• For establishing a CBWTF at least 1-acre land is required.
• A CBWTF can be constructed in two plots but not located in different areas
• In case of new CBWTFs, the land area requirement may be relaxed but not less than 0.5 acre. 

Coverage area of CBWTF

• A CBWTF shall be given permission to handle the healthcare units situated within a radial distance of 75 KM. If in coverage area 10,000 beds are not available within a radial distance of 75 KM, then the existing CBWTF can cater the healthcare units situated up to 150 KM
• In case, if number of beds is more than 10,000, in such a case, a new CBWTF may be allowed to construct in such a locality.

Treatment equipment

• Incineration/Plasma Pyrolysis
• Incineration is a combustion process where waste is burned in the presence of oxygen and harmful microorganisms present in it are destroyed.
• In plasma pyrolysis, waste is treated at high temperature under controlled condition to form gases like methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide
• Autoclaving/Hydroclaving
• Autoclaving is a low-heat thermal process which is used to sterilize the waste
• Hydroclaving is similar to that of autoclaving but here water is used instead of steam
• Microwaving-In microwaving, microbes are inactivated by providing them microwave radiation
• Chemical disinfection-Chemical disinfection is used to disinfect the glass waste
• Shredder-Shredding is a process in which waste is cut down into smaller pieces.
• Sharp pit/ Encapsulation-A sharp pit or a facility for sharp encapsulation is container or a puncture proof or a cement concrete tank where sharps are.
• Vehicle/Containers washing facility-There shall be a facility where cleaning of vehicle and containers can be done when return from collecting waste.
• Effluent Treatment Plant-Effluent Treatment Plant can treat the waste water and that treated water can be reused in future.

Infrastructure set up

The CBWTF shall have enough space to install required treatment equipment in the facility.

• Treatment Equipment Room

There shall be separated places given to each piece of equipment at the CBWTF such as incinerator room, autoclave room, microwave room etc.

• Main waste storage space

Separate space shall be given in CBWTF to unload and store all biomedical wastes that have been transported to the CBWTF by its own transportation vehicle.

• Treated waste storage room

Separate space should be provided to every kind of waste. The wastes shall be stored in separate place as per the disposal technique.

• Administrative Room

Administrative room can be shall be utilized for general administration, record keeping, billing etc.

• Generator set

CBWTF shall have a generator set as backup, whenever there is a power cut situation then the generator can run the treatment equipment.

• Vehicle Parking

Parking provision shall be there in the CBWTF Facility, so that whenever the vehicles arrive for the loading and unloading of the waste they can be parked.

• First Aid Box

First Aid Box with necessary provisions needs to be provided at all the salient points within the facility

• Green Belt

The open area which left in the CBWTF can be used for green belt development.

• Record keeping

Record keeping is very important of all operations carried out at the CBWTF, which also contain overall operation carried out within the CBWTF.

• Records of Waste Movements

Daily records shall be maintained for the waste collected, transported, treated and disposed

Logbook for the treatment equipment

A logbook shall be kept for each equipment installed at the CBWTF and shall include the following:

• The weight of the waste treated.
• The weight of waste according to the categories as per the Rules.
• The time, date and duration of each treatment process and total hours of operations.
• The complete details parameters during treatment process.

Collection of bio-medical waste from the Health Care Institutions

Segregated Biomedical Waste is collected from the generators premises it is the responsibility of the generator to segregate the waste according to the color-coding mention in the Bio-medical Waste Management Rules, 2016. The waste generated shall be segregated & collected according to the color coding. Failure of this will lead to violation of rules.

• Transportation of the collected bio-medical waste from the Healthcare institutions to the CBWTF:
• Transportation vehicle must be equipped with GPS so that every movement of the vehicle can be tracked.
• Separate cabins must be constructed within the transport vehicle for driver/staff as well
• For placing the designated color-coded bio-medical waste dustbins, there shall be separate cabins inside the vehicle
• The waste cabin shall be so designed so that it can be easy to wash and disinfect.

The process of Bio-medical waste management involves 6 sequential steps:

• Collection is the process in which the waste is collected at the premises of waste generators.
• Segregation also takes place at the waste generator premises where waste is segregated according to the category and color-coding criteria issued by the biomedical waste management rules.
• After segregation Storage of waste is done. Waste is stored in a separate place where no interference of anybody take place as this can increases the case of infection of not proper handle.
• Transportation of stored waste carried out, which is transported to the CBWTF.
• Treatment of the transported waste is carried out in the CBWTF facility. Treatment is done to reduce the negative effect of the waste.
• Disposal is the last step where the treated waste is disposed to landfill.

Environmental laws applicable for operation of a CBWTF

Before establishing a CBWTF, the occupier of the CBWTF have to take the permission from the concerned department. The Concerned department after scrutinizing all the documents of the project proponent makes decision to grant or reject the permission.

• Valid consents under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
• Valid Consent under BMWM Rules, 2016
• Environmental Clearance under EIA Notification 2020
• Permission from local authority (MCD/CLU/Gram Panchayat)