QUANTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF MEDICAL WASTE IN PUBLIC HEALTH CARE FACILITIES WITHIN AKURE METROPOLIS, ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the quantity and rate of medical waste generation in purposely selected public hospitals located within Akure metropolis of Ondo State and determined the characteristics of the waste generated. The quantity of medical waste generated was measured daily in kg per day, kg per bed per day, and kg per patient per day while, the physical and chemical characteristics were determined according to standard methods. This study indicated that the quantity of medical waste generated by Ondo State Specialist Hospital Akure, and Mother and Child Hospital Akure were 124.5 kg/day and 0.44 kg/patient/day. Over two-thirds were general waste while the remainder (30.9%) were considered to be infectious and hazardous wastes. The result obtained from physical characterization of the medical waste revealed that the percentage of moisture content and bulk density of cellulose in the medical waste composition exceed other components of the waste. However, from proximate analysis of the medical waste, cellulose has the highest percentage of fixed carbon, volatile matter and ash while the result obtained from ultimate analysis indicated that the percentage content of hydrogen, nitrogen, sulphur, oxygen and carbon is higher than that of other composition of medical waste.