DIAGNOSIS OF HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT AT THE TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF AMBATO

Abstract

Introduction: In general, university laboratories can be characterized as a polluting source, as they use several chemical substances that are potentially harmful to the environment and human health in the development of their academic activities. Therefore, proper handling of chemical products and management of waste generated are necessary for environmental safety. Objective: make a diagnosis respect to the management of hazardous waste at the Technical University of Ambato. Methods: it’s a quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study, in which 41 laboratories generating hazardous waste were selected. A survey was applied based on the current technical regulations of the Ministry of the Environment of Peru, with 3 sections, and the results were analyzed in the SPSS 24.0 program. Results: at the laboratories of the university predominates the generation of infectious residues in the School of Health Sciences and construction in the School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, the number of containers is insufficient for generation demand or does not meet the needs (80.50%), sharps are segregated in rigid containers (75.60%), waste is not disposed of according its class (68.30%), central storage is far from medical and food services (61.00%), no treatment or final disposal is carried out by specialized companies (80.50%). Conclusions: the laboratories have an appropriate internal waste management, they have covered containers, the sharps are appropriately segregated, there is a correct middle storage. However, in the external management of hazardous waste, there aren’t routes or timetables for transport, no treatment or collect is carried out through an specialized company.
 KEYWORDS: hazardous waste, diagnosis, laboratories, waste management, universities, environment.