Background and Objective: Due to the importance of managing medical sharps waste and the potential harm caused by these types of waste, the use of safe technologies that simultaneously encapsulate and reduce their volume is considered one of the essential needs for managing medical waste in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. The main objective of this study was to investigate the efficiency of disinfecting and encapsulating device for medical sharps waste.
Materials and Methods: This device provides the process of containment and encapsulation of medical sharps waste by creating a stable protective foam without oxidation through inductive heat in a closed environment, preventing the dispersion and release of these wastes. Gas samples from the device's output were collected using the NIOSH 1501 method and analyzed using GC-MS. The performance efficiency of the device was evaluated based on the biological monitoring of the indicator bacterium Bacillus stearothermophilus.
Results: The results showed that the average concentration of BTEX gases (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes) and other volatile organic compounds in the device's output was within the permissible limit. The concentrations of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene gases were 0.04, 0.033, 0.029, and 0.029 ppm, respectively. The results of biological monitoring showed that the reduction of the microbial load was 9999.99 (Log 6) and the decontamination process was acceptable.
Additionally, this device has the advantage of reducing the volume of sharp and plastic objects during the encapsulation process, which can be further used in plastic pyrolysis/recycling industries.
Conclusion: It is hoped that by using this innovative and domestic device in the decontamination units of hospitals across the country, we can take an effective step towards improving medical waste management, reducing waste production, reducing hospital costs, and preserving and enhancing the country's health.
