Biomedical Waste Management Research Articles

Impact of multi-modal learning workshop on awareness and knowledge of health care providers about waste management in India

Hospital waste management is crucial in preventing needle stick injuries and exposure to hazards. Adequate knowledge, appropriate safety measure, and methods of handling the wastes are more important in waste management. : The objective of this project is to study the impact of multi-modal training workshops in improving the knowledge and awareness on biomedical waste management among healthcare workers.An eight-hour onsite training workshop was conducted in Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Indore, and Hyderabad from July to September 2023. A validated pre and post-test questionnaire was used to assess the impact of the workshop. At the end of each workshop, responses were analyzed to study the effectiveness of the workshop and to do a gap analysis on the areas that require strategic learning. Analysis was conducted on data aggregated using the Chi-square test.In the above analysis, the pre-test scoring of these participants was 66%. After the workshop, the post-test scoring was 83% with a significant improvement (p < 0.0001). The pre-test and post-test scores in individual regions were 63% and 78% at Ahmedabad, 71% and 86% at Kolkata, 60% and 86% at Indore, and 68% and 83% at Hyderabad respectively.In healthcare facilities, training plays a key role in preventing health hazards for both employees and patients. Training must involve different types of learning methods tailored to the needs and capability of understanding of the participants. The effectiveness of training must be measured using appropriate tools to study the impact of the learning methods.

Descriptive Analysis of Biomedical Waste Management in Health Care Facilities in the City of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo

Descriptive Analysis of Biomedical Waste Management in Health Care Facilities in the City of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo

Knowledge, Awareness, and Perceived Attitude of Biomedical Waste Management Among Healthcare Personnel

Knowledge, Awareness, and Perceived Attitude of Biomedical Waste Management Among Healthcare Personnel

Bio-Inspired Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles Using Leaf Extract of Jamun and Research on Its Biomedical Potential.

Bio-based synthesis of metallic nanoparticles has garnered much attention in recent times owing to their non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective nature. In this study, gold nanoparticles (S4-GoNPs) were synthesized by a simple and environmentally friendly technique using an aqueous extract of jamun leaves (JLE) as an effective capping, stabilizer, and reducing agent. JLE was screened for the presence of phytochemicals followed by synthesis, characterization, and evaluation of their antibacterial, antidiabetic, antioxidant, and photocatalytic degradation potentials using standard established procedures. The phytochemical profile of JLE was found to be rich in flavonoids, tannins, terpenoid phenols, anthraquinones, and cardiac glycosides. Its GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of compounds majorly of them as the (1R)-2,6,6-Trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-2-ene (5.141%), 2(10)-pinene (4.119%), α-cyclopene (5.274%) α,α-muurolene (7.525%), naphthalene, 1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,8a-octahydro-7-methyl-4-methylene-1-(1-methylethyl)-(1.alpha.,4a.beta.,8a.alpha) (8.470%), delta-cadinene (23.246), α-guajene (3.451%), and gamma-muurolene (4.379%). The visual morphology and UV-Vis spectral surface plasmon resonance at 538 nm confirmed the successful synthesis of S4-GoNPs. The average particle size was determined as 120.5 nm with Pdi = 0.152, and -27.6 mV zeta potential. Using the Scherrer equation, the average crystallite size was calculated as 35.69 nm. S4-GoNPs displayed significant antidiabetic properties, with 40.67% of α-amylase and 91.33% of α-glucosidase inhibition activity. It also exhibited promising antioxidant potential in terms of the DPPH (91.56%) ABTS (76.59%) scavenging. It displayed 31.04% tyrosinase inhibition at 0.1 mg/mL. Moreover, it also demonstrated encouraging antibacterial effects with zones of inhibition ranging from 11.02 - 14.12 mm as compared to 10.55-16.24 mm by the reference streptomycin (at 0.01 mg/disc). In addition, S4-GoNPs also showed potential for the photocatalytic degradation of the industrial dye, methylene blue. In conclusion, these results suggest the promising applicability of green-synthesized S4-GoNPs in various sectors, including the biomedical, cosmetic, food, and environmental waste management industries.

Efficient Biomedical Waste Management: Optimizing Segmentation and Classification with EnU-Net-DNN-BMWC

<p style="margin-bottom:8px;text-align:justify;"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;font-size:12.0pt;line-height:200%;tab-stops:0in 21.3pt;">In India, biomedical waste (BMW) management is governed by strict regulations to mitigate health and environmental risks. It includes materials such as sharps, infectious wastes, pharmaceuticals, and non-hazardous items contaminated with potentially infectious substances. Proper management and disposal of BMW are critical to prevent environmental contamination and health risks.  This article introduces an Enhanced U-Network (EnU-Net) integrated with Deep Neural Network BMW Classification (EnU-Net-DNN-BMWC) to enhance accuracy in this critical task. Leveraging the U-Net framework with an Encoder-Decoder Network (EDN) and pixel-wise classification layer initially optimizes image segmentation. Bayesian functions mitigate segmentation uncertainties, while Content-Sensitive Sampling (CSS) refines pixel sampling to prioritize data-sparse regions. Data collected from G. Kuppuswamy Naidu Memorial Hospital and Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH) in Coimbatore over six months, categorizing sharps, infectious materials, pharmaceuticals, and non-hazardous waste, informs waste management strategies. Experimental validation using 100 biomedical waste images demonstrates EnU-Net-DNN-BMWC achieving good accuracy, surpassing standalone DNN-BMWC using Matlab 2022. The comparative analysis across different metrics such as accuracy, precision, F-measure, recall, error rate, and RMSE between DNN-BMWC and the proposed EnU-Net-DNN-BMWC framework were evaluated in this study, highlighting EnU-Net-DNN-BMWC's superior performance. Finally, this study underscores EnU-Net-DNN-BMWC’s efficacy in enhancing biomedical waste classification, crucial for sustainable waste management practices and regulatory compliance in healthcare settings.</span></p>

KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE, AND PRACTICES ON BIOMEDICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT AMONG MEDICAL INTERNS OF A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN NORTH KARNATAKA

Objective: Every health-care personnel is expected to have adequate knowledge, good attitude, safe practice, and capacity to guide others for appropriate biomedical waste (BMW) collection and management. The study aims to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices regarding BMW management among the budding yet responsible doctors- the medical interns in ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Gulbarga. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among all the 81 interns currently posted in ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Gulbarga. Data were collected using pre-designed and semi-structured questionnaire to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices on BMW management. Results: The study found that a majority (69.1%) of interns demonstrated fair knowledge regarding BMW management. Majority (93.8–98.8%) of the interns showed a positive attitude towards BMW segregation, self-responsibility, observation of charts at workplace, and training on BMW management. Furthermore, only 12.3% interns viewed BMW management as an extra burden on work. However, only 44.4% of interns were pre-treating liquid waste, and 50.6% were using a needle hub cutter. Alarmingly, 23.3% indicated that they would not report injuries. Conclusion: BMW management practices can be further improved with strict supervision and incorporation of BMW management in the assessment of internship completion in addition to periodic training

Biomedical waste management among healthcare workers in a Primary Health Centre in Sikkim, India—A KAP study

BACKGROUND: “Biomedical waste (BMW) is the waste generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals or research activities pertaining thereto or in the production or testing of biologicals” (Management and Handling Rules, 1998 of India). As it is a source of dangerous diseases, the handlers need to have adequate knowledge about the same. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, and practice of biomedical waste management among healthcare workers in a Primary Health Centre and tested the association between KAP and selected variables. For this study, one PHC among six in Sikkim was purposively selected and all health providers attached with the PHC were assessed for KAP toward BMW Management. Data was summarized using SPSS version 27. Pearson’s Chi-square test (or Fisher’s exact test) was applied to find the association between KAP and selected variables (P < 0.05 was considered significant). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed for the significant variables. RESULTS: The mean age of the study participants ranged from 36.42 ± 8.983 years. 66%, 66%, and 60% of healthcare workers had adequate knowledge scores, favorable attitude scores, and good practice scores in BMWM, respectively. CONCLUSION: A knowledge gap was observed among the supportive medical staff as there was a lack of formal training in BMWM. Training of not only medical officers but also for waste handlers should be conducted at the time of appointment as well as refresher trainings should be done for the overall health and safety of all waste handlers.

Analysis of the environmental and health risks of biomedical waste management systems in the town of Bobo-Dioulasso, in Burkina Faso

Analysis of the environmental and health risks of biomedical waste management systems in the town of Bobo-Dioulasso, in Burkina Faso

Knowledge and Practice of Biomedical Waste Management among Nurses at a Tertiary Level Hospital in Bangladesh

Knowledge and Practice of Biomedical Waste Management among Nurses at a Tertiary Level Hospital in Bangladesh

A Study to Assess the Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Biomedical Waste Management among Grade 4th Health Worker in Selected Hospital at Meerut, U.P

A Study to Assess the Knowledge and Attitude Regarding Biomedical Waste Management among Grade 4th Health Worker in Selected Hospital at Meerut, U.P

Emerging Green Technologies for Bio-medical Waste Treatment and Management: A Systematic Approach

Emerging Green Technologies for Bio-medical Waste Treatment and Management: A Systematic Approach

Adoption of artificial intelligence and the internet of things in dental biomedical waste management

Adoption of artificial intelligence and the internet of things in dental biomedical waste management

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of biomedical waste management among nursing staff in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practice of biomedical waste management among nursing staff in a tertiary care teaching hospital

Efficient Biomedical Waste Management- Need of the Time: A Lesson Learnt From COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Medical waste management (MWM) is of concern to the medical and general com-munity. Adequate knowledge regarding the management of healthcare waste is an important precursor to the synthesis of appropriate attitudes and practices of proper handling and disposal of medical waste by healthcare workers (HCWs). This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, and housekeeping staff, regarding BMW management at a tertiary hospital in Telangana.Subjects and Method: This was a cross‑sectional study carried out at a tertiary health care center in Mahbubnagar district, Telangana, India. A stratified sampling technique was used to select the different cadre of healthcare providers from the hospital. A self‑administered questionnaire assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practices of 300 study participants was prepared. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data.Results: The majority of respondents were nursing staff 43% (143/300) followed by doctors, interns, sanitation workers, and lab technicians. About 3/4th of the HCWs had experience of more than 3 years. Only 65% of the doctors have correct knowledge of the colour coding of bags. About only 20% of the nursing staff practiced segregation of the waste on-site. The practice of hand washing was significantly higher among female HCWs (p = 0.010).Conclusion: This study showed that there is a clear lack of BMW management among the HCW especially class IV staff who handle a large. Thus ongoing training should be provided to HCWs on MWM, with more attention to knowledge of regulatory requirements, and involvement of HCWs in the development of MWM policies to enhance compliance.

Knowledge, attitude, and practices regarding biomedical waste management (BMWM) among healthcare workers in Tertiary care facility

Biomedical waste management is critical to India’s public health and environmental protection. With the rapid growth of the healthcare sector, biomedical waste generation has increased significantly, posing challenges in its proper handling, treatment, and disposal. This comprehensive analysis provides an overview of the current status of biomedical waste management in India, including the regulatory framework, categorization of waste, segregation practices, collection and transportation methods, treatment and disposal technologies, record-keeping requirements, training and awareness programs, monitoring and enforcement mechanisms, and emerging trends. The analysis also explores the challenges healthcare facilities, regulatory authorities, and other stakeholders face in ensuring effective biomedical waste management and proposes strategies to address these challenges. Furthermore, it discusses innovative approaches and future directions to promote sustainable biomedical waste management practices and safeguard public health and the environment.

Effectiveness of Outreach Clinical Mentoring and Supportive Supervision on Biomedical Waste Management in Nasarawa State, North Central Nigeria: An Intervention Study

Introduction: Health care activities are essential because they restore health and save lives. At the same time however, they generate large quantity of wastes and by-products that need to be handled safely and disposed of properly. Proper health care waste handling is a worrisome issue around the world, especially in developing countries. This study is meant to determine the effect of clinical mentoring and supportive supervision on the knowledge of, attitude to and practice of biomedical waste management.  Method: A quasi-experimental study design with both qualitative and quantitative components was used. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 436 study participants who met the inclusion criteria. The data tools were pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaires and supervisory check lists for the quantitative component on the one hand, and a focus group discussion guide for the qualitative component on the other hand. The interventions were in the form of both physical and virtual mentoring and routine supportive supervision. The participants in the control arm of the study did not receive mentoring or supportive supervision. The study lasted for 24 weeks, within which there were weekly, scheduled mentoring/supportive supervisory visits to only the facilities in the study arm.  Data Analysis: Quantitative data was collated, checked for completeness and analyzed using IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 23). Quantitative variables were described using frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test and Paired t test were used to test associations. At 95% confidence interval, p-value less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Qualitative data was analyzed using Nvivo statistiscal software, version 11.  Result: The mean age group of the study participants was 33.30(±8.97). More females (50.80%) than males (49.20%) participated in the study. Majority of the participants had tertiary education (88.45%). The predominant occupation was community health work (30.75%). In the study group, 66.4% of the respondents had poor knowledge score pre-intervention. This decreased significantly to 10.0% post-intervention (p<0.05). In the control arm of the study, there was no significant difference in the findings at the start and after the study. The proportion of respondents who had positive attitude score in the study arm, increased significantly from 40.3% before intervention to 77.8% after intervention (p<0.05). In a similar vein, the proportion with appropriate practice in the study arm also increased from 32.7% before intervention to 88.3% after intervention with a statistically significant difference. In the control arm, there was no significant difference in the findings at the beginning of the study compared to the findings at the end of the study. In the study arm, majority of the respondents who demonstrated poor knowledge of, attitude to and practice of health care waste management at the baseline focus group discussion sessions, showed significant improvement at the post-intervention sessions. In the control arm, there was no significant difference in the focus group discussion findings. Conclusion: The findings above are suggestive of the fact that the interventions were effective. There is, therefore, the need for the establishment of incentive schemes like clinical mentoring and regular supportive supervision of health care workers on health care waste management in order to safeguard human, animal and environmental health.

Biomedical Waste Management in Three Hospitals in Khartoum State Sudan during COVID-19 Pandemic and Lessons Learned

Biomedical Waste Management in Three Hospitals in Khartoum State Sudan during COVID-19 Pandemic and Lessons Learned

"EFFECT OF WEBINAR REGARDING IMPACT OF BIOMEDICAL WASTE ON ENVIRONMENT AND IT’S PREVENTION AMONG NOVICE NURSING STUDENTS OF SELECTED COLLEGES OF ODISHA"

Biomedical waste, sometimes known as hospital trash, is created during the treatment of people as well as during biologics research, that contains potentially contagious materials and affect the environment due to improper disposal of waste. As nurses are backbone of the health care delivery system though they are working 24 hours a day. Novice nursing students have less knowledge on impact of biomedical waste on environment& its prevention. The current Pre-experimental one group pre-test post-test research study conducted in 3 nursing colleges of Odisha with 500 first year nursing students who are selected randomly by using convenience sampling technique. The result of the current study revealed that, majority of nursing students in Post-test (77.33%) are having good knowledge than Pre-test knowledge (3.33%).There was a significant mean difference (7.1) exists between pre-post test knowledge score and 0.1 SD difference exists between the pre and post-test. The present study revealed that, there is lack of adequate knowledge among nursing students regarding management of biomedical waste in view of its impact on the different aspects of the environment. The management of biomedical waste should be assessed as soon as possible in order to raise awareness for proper collection, segregation and disposal to prevent contamination of waste towards environment amongfuture nursing officers at their training courses.

Handling of radioactive waste from the use of radionuclides in hospitals

The waste that is generated during the different applications of radionuclides in medicine is considered as biomedical radioactive waste. This waste includes contaminated materials and syringes generated from Nuclear Medicine procedures, unused radioactive seeds from implants in Radiation Oncology as well as sealed sources used for calibration purposes, which are no longer useful. The overall goal of biomedical radioactive waste handling is to minimize the hazards posed by the waste prior to discharge or disposal. In order to plan the treatment of radionuclides in medical facilities, it is important to design an effective system for the overall management of radioactive biomedical waste. In this scientific paper I make a general assessment of the planning methods used in the handling of radioactive waste in medical facilities, including the collection, separation and packaging of radioactive biomedical waste.

Biomedical Waste Management Knowledge among Dental Students and Private Dental Practitioners of Alkharj, Saudi Arabia.

Improper handling of biomedical waste causes health hazards. Dental practitioners and students as health care professionals should know about biomedical waste management from its generation to disposal. This will prevent associated risk and cross-infection. To assess the awareness, attitude, and practice of dental students and dental practitioners at Alkharj, Saudi Arabia. Total of 100 dental students from a teaching institute and 100 private dental practitioners participated in the study. A closed-ended questionnaire was used containing 20 questions related to awareness, attitude, and practice of biomedical waste. Participation was voluntary. 98% of dental practitioners and 95% of dental students are aware that biomedical waste causes health hazards. 25% of dental students and 36% of dental practitioners are aware of guidelines laid by the government of Saudi Arabia for BMW. On average, 74% of dental students and 87% of dental practitioners correctly answered practice-related questions. The knowledge ḥof dental practitioners about biomedical waste management in the Alkharj region is good compared to dental students. Dental students must be given training related to handling and management of biomedical waste.