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Can pyrolysis handle biomedical wastes?: Assessing the potential of various biomedical waste treatment technologies in tackling pandemics

Srivastava A 1 , Sharma A 1 , Jena MK 2 , Vuppaladadiyam AK 2 , Reguyal F 3 , Joshi J 4 Show all authors , Sharma A 5 , Shah K 2 , Gupta A 6 , Chin BLF 7 , Saptoro A 8 , Sarmah AK 9

Affiliations 

  • 1 Waste to Resources Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology & Chemical Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur 303007, India
  • 2 School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
  • 3 Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand
  • 4 Homi Bhabha National Institute, Training School Complex, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai- 400094, India; Department of Chemical Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parekh Marg, Matunga, Mumbai-19, India
  • 5 Waste to Resources Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology & Chemical Engineering, Manipal University Jaipur, Jaipur 303007, India; School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia. Electronic address: abhishek.sharma@jaipur.manipal.edu
  • 6 Malaviya National Institute of Technology, Malviya Nagar, Jaipur, Rajasthan 302017, India
  • 7 Department of Chemical and Energy Engineering, Curtin University Malaysia, 250 CDT, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • 8 Energy and Environment Research Cluster, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Curtin University Malaysia, 250 CDT, 98009 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia
  • 9 Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. Electronic address: a.sarmah@auckland.ac.nz
Sci Total Environ, 2024 Oct 10;946:174167.
PMID: 38917898 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174167

Abstract

Globally, COVID-19 has not only caused tremendous negative health, social and economic impacts, but it has also led to environmental issues such as a massive increase in biomedical waste. The biomedical waste (BMW) was generated from centralized (hospitals, clinics, and research facilities) and extended (quarantine camps, COVID-19 test camps, and quarantined homes) healthcare facilities. Many effects, such as the possibility of infection spread, unlawful dumping/disposal, and an increase in toxic emissions by common BMW treatment facilities, are conjectured because of the rise in waste generation. However, it is also an opportunity to critically analyze the current BMW treatment scenario and implement changes to make the system more economical and environmentally sustainable. In this review, the waste disposal guidelines of the BMW management infrastructure are critically analyzed for many functional parameters to bring out possible applications and limitations of individual interventions. In addition, an investigation was made to select appropriate technology based on the environmental setting.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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