Tratarea, prin metode alternative, a deseurilor periculoase provenite din unitatile sanitare

Autor/autori: Ing. Anisoara Popescu

Rezumat: Diversele metode utilizate in mod frecvent pentru tratarea deseurilor periculoase provenite din activitatile medicale au ca scop obtinerea unui produs final prietenos mediului si sanatatii. Cea mai raspindita metoda de tratare a acestor tipuri de deseuri este incinerarea. Incineratoarele sunt tehnologii de ardere, cu principiu de functionare simplu: arderea deseurilor intr-un cuptor si tratarea, in continuare a efluentilor. În functie de compozitia materialelor, volumul de deseuri se reduce pina la 95-96% in urma arderii in incineratoare. Însa, incineratoarele de deseuri medicale au generat numeroase discutii si ingrijorari de-a lungul timpului, fiind o sursa majora de poluanti organici persistenti (POP) si alti poluanti, cum ar fi metalele grele. Ca o alternativa la acestea, s-au dezvoltat instalatii care nu folosesc arderea, iar astazi se cunosc peste 23 de metode alternative de tratare a deseurilor medicale, dintre care, cele mai utilizate sunt sterilizarea cu abur, microundele, tratamentul chimic, tratamentul termic (piroliza). Viabilitatea instalatiilor alternative a crescut in ultimul timp datorita costului crescut al incinerarii, dificultatile de acceptare a populatiei si a emisiilor provenite de la incineratoare. Instalatiile de tratare alternative costa mai putin si degaja mai putine emisii decit incinerarea. Este important sa recunoastem ca, deseori, este necesara mai mult de o instalatie pentru gestionarea tuturor componentelor din fluxul de deseuri (de exemplu incinerarea deseurilor patologice care nu pot fi sterlizate termic). În lucrare se justifica necesitatea introducerii in sistemele de gestionare a deseurilor periculoase provenite din activitatea medicala a tehnologiilor alternative de tratare, se face o analiza a celor mai utilizate metode, se prezinta instalatii hibride de tratare si se propun solutii pentru reducerea impovararii spitalelor de costurile cu tratarea deseurilor periculoase generate.

Cuvinte cheie: deseuri medicale, incinerare, solutii alternative, tratare, sterilizare, microunde

Abstract: Different methods commonly used to treat hazardous waste from medical activities aimed at achieving a final product that is environment and health friendly. The most popular method for handling these types of waste is incineration. Incinerators are burning technology with simple operating principle: burning of waste in an oven and treat the effluent further. Depending on the material composition, the volume of waste is reduced by 95-96% after burning in incinerators. However, medical waste incinerators have generated much discussion and concern over time, being a major source of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other pollutants such as heavy metals. As an alternative to those, it has been developed facilities that do not use combustion, and today is known more than 23 alternative medical waste facilities, of which the most commonly used are steam sterilization, microwaves, chemical treatment, heat treatment (pirolysis). Viability of alternative facilities has increased lately due to increased cost of incineration, the difficulties of acceptance of population and emissions from incinerators. Alternative facilities cost less and emit fewer emissions than burning. It is important to recognize that often requires more than one facility to manage all components of the waste stream (e.g. incineration of pathological waste which can not be treated into throw heat sterilization). This paper justifies the need in the management of hazardous waste from healthcare activities of alternative treatment technologies, describe an analysis of the most used methods of treatment, presents hybrid plants and propose solutions to reduce costs in hospitals.

Keywords: medical waste, incineration, alternative solutions, treatement, sterilisation, microwave

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