External

Quality
LABORATORY WASTE
Assessment
MANAGEMENT AND
DECONTAMINATION

MPhil and PhD Core Course on Biosafety

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DR. HAFSAH MUHAMMAD
PhD, MPhil (Distinction), MSc, PG Dip Public Health, PG
Dip. Criminology
Faculty MBG, IBMS, KMU, Peshawar
Biosafety Officer, IBMS & PHRL, KMU, Peshawar,
Pakistan
Honorary Research Fellow, Department of Zoology,
University of Cambridge, UK
Chapter Head, Pakistan Biological Safety Association
(PBSA)
Coordinator Biosafety Trainings (KP), Health Services
Academy, Islamabad
Executive Member, Organization of Women in Science
for the Developing world (OWSD)
Biosafety Training Consultant, Biosafe Service and
supply, Pakistan
hafsah.ibms@kmu.edu.pk; hafsah86@gmail.com

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Methods of decontamination

 Cleaning and hand hygiene

 Chemical disinfection
 Gaseous disinfection
 Heat disinfection
 Sterilization
 Biological and chemical indicators
Decontamination levels
The ideal disinfectant

 rapid and efficient action on biological agents,

 broad application range,
 effective at the lowest concentration possible,
 active at all temperatures,
 low toxicity,
 not inactivated by organic matter,
 compatibility with all materials (for example, non-corrosive),
 stable, and
 degradable and environmentally friendly.
Methods of Decontamination
Categories of health-care waste

• Sharps
• Infectious waste
• Pathological Waste
Hazardou • Pharmaceutical
s Waste Waste
(15%) • Cytotoxic Waste
• Chemical Waste
• Radioactive waste

Non- • Waste that does not

Hazardous pose any particular
health-care
waste
biological, chemical,
radioactive or
(85%)
physical hazard
Pathological waste:

human tissues

organs or fluids

body parts

contaminated animal carcasses

Fetuses

unused blood products

Sharps waste:

hypoder
mic, syringes
Used or auto-
unused
intraveno
disable
with infusion
Scalpels
Pipett Knives Blades
broken Scissors
sharps
us or
syringes
attached sets e tips glass
other needles
needles
Infectious waste:
waste
contaminated
with blood and
• (e.g. from discarded
other bodily diagnostic samples)
fluids

cultures and
stocks of • (e.g. waste from autopsies
infectious agents and infected animals from
from laboratory laboratories)
work

waste from • (e.g. swabs, bandages and

patients with disposable medical
infections devices)
Chemical waste:

solvents and
reagents
used for Disinfectants
laboratory
preparations

heavy metals
contained in
medical
sterilants devices and
batteries
• (e.g. mercury in
broken
thermometers)
Pharmaceutical waste:

expired, unused
and contaminated
drugs

expired, unused and

contaminated
vaccines
Cytotoxic waste:

•waste containing substances

Cytotoxic with genotoxic properties
Waste

•highly hazardous substances

that are, mutagenic, teratogenic
Adverse
Effects or carcinogenic

•cytotoxic drugs used in cancer

Example
treatment and their metabolites
Radioactive waste:

Products contaminated by radionuclides

• radioactive diagnostic material

• radiotherapeutic materials
Non-hazardous or general waste:

waste that does not

pose any particular
biological, chemical,
radioactive or
physical hazard.
The correct sequence for successful
disinfection

clean to remove dirt and organic matter,

apply the disinfectant and

after a pre-determined contact time, wipe with water to

remove chemical residues, if necessary
Cleaning and Hand Hygiene
Hand
Cleaning
Hygiene
remove dirt and
organic matter from
an item that would Hand Washing
inactivate chemical
disinfectants

remove dirt and

organic matter from
an item that would Alcohol Hand Rub
inactivate chemical
disinfectants
Hand
Hygiene:
Recommend
ed Procedure
Types of Chemical Disinfectants
Use of Chlorine based disinfectants
Pros and cones of chlorine based
disinfectants
 Hypochlorites can cause severe corrosion of metals and irritation to
exposed skin and mucous membranes.
 Their use should be avoided on metals unless the manufacturer states
otherwise
 Hypochlorite is relatively inexpensive
 active against most species, including spores and prions
 Sodium hypochlorite solutions are frequently stabilized in an alkaline
solution to prolong their shelf-life and adjusted to pH 7 for use for
resistant species, such as Bacillus anthracis spores
Factors affecting effectiveness of chemical disinfection
Types of Gaseous Disinfectants
Gaseous Disinfectants
 This is a hazardous process that requires specially trained
personnel
 should be the last resort when risk assessment concludes that
surface disinfection is impractical or inefficient
 treated room should be sealable with gas impermeable tape
before the formaldehyde gas is generated.
 Fumigation should be conducted at an ambient temperature
of at least 20 °C and a relative humidity of more than 70%.
 Fumigation of BSC
Methods of Heat Disinfection
Types of autoclave
Recommended Autoclaving Conditions

 After a thorough risk assessment and validation,

the following cycle will usually provide
sterilization of correctly loaded autoclaves:
.

 3 min holding time at 134 °C

 10 min holding time at 126 °C
 15 min holding time at 121 °C
 25 min holding time at 115 °C
Safety precautions (Autoclaves)
Operating
Operation and A maintenance instructions
maintenance of programme and the /Sterilization A loading plan
autoclaves. inspections programmes and
the parameter

containers that
loosely packed
A regular verification , readily allow
A reliable steam chamber so that
use of biological removal of air and
indicators, leak tests source. steam can
permit good steam
penetrate evenly.
penetration.
Hazardous
chemicals (for
example, bleach,
mercury or relief valves and
use of appropriate.
radioactive drains for blockage
material) must
never be treated in
an autoclave.
Incineration and Associated Risks

• release of pollutants into the air and in the generation of ash

residue.

inadequate • chlorine can generate dioxins and furans, which are human
carcinogens
incineration
• heavy metals or materials with high metal content (in particular
OR lead, mercury and cadmium) can lead to the spread of toxic metals
in the environment.
Incinerating
unsuitable • Burn Pits and furnaces, Ash Disposal
materials
Sterilization: Biological Indicators
Sterilization: Chemical Indicators
Waste management and
decontamination of waste products
 SAFE WASTE HANDLING PROCEDURES

Segregati Treatmen
Packaging Labelling Collection Storage Transport Disposal
on t

Identify employees who are involved in / can be exposed

during any of these activities.
Waste management and decontamination
of waste products
 Considerations for waste management
 Contaminated waste treated onsite: segregation and storage
 Contaminated waste treated off-site: handling and transportation
 Documentation for waste management
 Legislative, regulatory and policy considerations
 International considerations
 Domestic considerations
 Transportation of waste
 Decontamination of liquid waste
 Decontamination of solid waste
Solid and Liquid Waste
decontamination
 Decontamination of liquid waste
 Sewer System
 Chemical disinfection
 Autoclaving
 Decontamination of solid waste
 Autoclaving
 Incineration
 Alkaline digestion
 Rendering (Animal carcasses, pressurized vessels)
Specimen Inactivation

 Nucleic acid extraction

 Thermal inactivation of slides
 Formaldehyde treatment of tissue
 Ionizing radiation
 Gamma irradiators
 X-ray machines
 E-beam machines
WHO Guidance Documents

Cost assessment Rapid assessment

Monitoring tool Policy paper
tool tool

Management of Management of
Guidance to Management of
waste at primary waste from mass
develop national waste from
health care immunization
plans injection activities
centres activities

Management of
waste in
emergencies
WHO and UNICEF initiative

WHO, UNICEF global initiative to

& Partners in ensure all health care
2015 facilities have

Addressing
adequate sanitation Hygiene
health care
water service services
waste
Let’s keep

our

environment

clean and

healthy like

the pure

mother

NATURE
Laboratory Waste Management

ANY QUESTION SO FAR?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTETION 