Waste Handling Research Articles

Occupational Risks Prevention Practices Among Medical Waste Handlers in Ogun State, Nigeria

Background: Medical waste handlers are at immediate risk of needle stick injuries and exposure to infectious materials from medical waste. Adequate knowledge and safe practices on the part of the workers are essential for the prevention of nosocomial infections. Objective: To assess and compare the factors involved in occupational risk prevention practices among medical waste handlers in two tertiary hospitals in Ogun State, Nigeria. Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study compared medical waste handlers and the risk prevention measures available in a specialist hospital and a teaching hospital. The 100 participants were randomly selected and surveyed using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of needle stick injury at the teaching hospital and specialist hospital were 38% and 28%, respectively. Hepatitis B vaccine uptake was 6% in the teaching hospital compared to 70% at the specialist hospital. There was a significant difference concerning the provision of safety equipment (p<0.001), personal protective equipment (PPE) (p<0.001), Hepatitis vaccine (p<0.001), training (p<0.001) and availability of waste management policy (p = 0.015) but no significant difference concerning the regular supply of water and soap (p = 0.494) between both institutions. Conclusion: The waste handlers at the specialist hospital were better equipped for safety than those at the teaching hospital. A safer environment, equipment, and training for medical waste handlers are needed to enable them to practise occupational risk prevention more effectively.

Biosecurity Compliance and Its Applications in Poultry Production Sectors

Poultry farming has been recognized as one of the most vital sectors for the economy and revenue generation in many countries. For the production of high-quality freshly hatched chicks, effective cleaning and sanitation of the hatchery environment and hatching eggs were crucial components of proper management and hygiene in chicken hatcheries. The current review aimed to assess the efficient ways of mitigating the risk of disease introduction (external biosecurity) and its subsequent dissemination (internal biosecurity) within and between poultry farms and hatcheries. In addition to identifying the variety of risk categories that are applied to various biosecurity industries, this article clarified the equivalent tools, including checklists and/or questionnaires, that can be used to assess biosecurity compliance. The checklist was aimed to evaluate numerous biosecurity protocol categories, including the farm's infrastructure, employees, their education and training, access control mechanisms, cleaning and disinfection procedures, handling of litter and waste, chick control, registrations, and pest management. In conclusion, external biosecurity was critical to preventing infections from entering hatcheries and poultry farms. Questionnaires or checklists were effective instruments for gathering information on biosecurity and evaluating compliance in poultry farms. Keywords: Biosecurity compliance, Checklist, Hazard, Poultry sector

Preliminary human health risk assessment of antibiotic exposures in human waste handling occupations

Exposure to biosolids in human waste handling occupations is associated with a risk for illness due to microbial infections. Although several years of exposure to biosolids might be hypothesized to be a prophylaxis against infection, the risks associated with infections from antibiotic-resistant organisms can also be a potential concern. Therefore, this study aimed to conduct a screening level risk assessment by deriving occupational exposure limits (OELs) characterizing the risks of adverse health effects among workers in human waste handling occupations with a focus on exposure to two pharmaceuticals commonly found in biosolids: ciprofloxacin (CIP) and azithromycin (AZ). Epidemiological and exposure studies of workers exposed to biosolids were identified through searches of major scientific databases. Screening OELs (sOELs) for these antibiotics were derived using a standardized methodology. The airborne concentrations of CIP and AZ antibiotics were determined using an exposure factors approach. The health-based exposure limits (i.e., sOELs) and the acceptable daily exposure (ADE) values for both of these antibiotics were derived as 80 μg/m3 and 12 μg/kg-day, respectively. An exposure factor approach suggested that inhalation route exposures to CIP and AZ are well below the sOELs and ADE daily doses, and likely too low to cause direct adverse health effects through antibiotic inhalation. A critical review of epidemiological studies on different occupations handling biosolids showed that the workers in industries with potential biosolids exposure have experienced an increased incidence of microbial-exposure-related illness. The health effects seen in the workers have been attributed to bacterial, viral, and protozoan infections. To the extent that bacteria are the pathogen of concern, it is not clear whether these bacteria are resistant to antibiotics commonly found in biosolids. It is also unclear whether the presence of antibiotics or antibiotic-resistant bacteria increases the susceptibility of these workers. Additional studies will provide more definitive estimates of inhalation and dermal exposures to CIP and AZ and could verify the exposure estimates in this study based on the literature and common exposure factors.

Striving for Sustainability in Healthcare Management: Waste Handling and Disposal Network Optimization

Striving for Sustainability in Healthcare Management: Waste Handling and Disposal Network Optimization

Effect of County Government Strategies in the Collection, Transportation and Disposal of Plastic Waste in Lodwar Town, Turkana County Kenya

Plastic waste management has become a major public health and environmental concern in urban areas of many developing countries. Economic growth and population increase in the developing countries in recent years has caused an increase in utilization of natural resources that has led to unprecedented plastic waste generation. The uncontrolled plastic waste disposal has become a challenge in Africa and other developing countries due to insufficient or lack of human and financial capacities to remedy the situation. This study investigated the effect of county governments’ strategies in place in the collection, transportation and disposal of plastic waste in Lodwar town, turkana county Kenya. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. purposive sampling was used to select 345 respondents from Lodwar town and the county government employees including key informants from public health department at the county was adopted. Data were then analyzed for descriptive statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. The study findings showed that majority (78.6%) of the residents disagreed that there is reselling of plastic materials to avoid generation of wastage. Further majority (38%) also disagreed that they are reusing the plastics for other purposes in their households. Additionally, majority (55.9%) still disagreed that the municipality has recycling company, which has assisted in plastic material recycling. However, on the other hand majority (71.6%) of the residents were not aware if there is a new technological recycling machine in the county. The study revealed that majority of the respondents disagreed that there are waste collectors and transporters in the town (mean= 1.95, standard deviation=0.99). Majority of the respondents disagreed that the municipality have recycling company which has assisted in plastic material recycling (Mean=1.51, standard deviation=0.89). Majority of the residents strongly agreed that handling plastic waste in Lodwar municipality is of great concern (Mean=4.59, standard deviation=0.84). The study concluded planning and coordination have a significant effect on plastic waste handling in Lodwar municipality. There are no enough waste collectors and transporters in the town also Municipality has no clear waste management guideline/policy. Recycling methods have a significant effect on plastic waste handling in Lodwar municipality. The study recommended that the municipality administration should come up with waste management guideline/policy that will ensure efficient and reliable wastage handling.

Bacterial contamination and greenhouse gas emissions: A randomised study of reuse versus single-use of infusion-set components for intravenous anaesthesia.

Reusing anaesthesia infusion-set components may reduce the climate impact from plastic waste and discarded medications. Infusion-set contents can be shielded from patient contact by single use of an infusion line fitted with dual antireflux valves, preventing retrograde entry of microorganisms, and eliminating the risk for patient-to-patient cross-contamination. However, infusion-set contamination from compromised aseptic handling could affect quality of care. To determine the prevalence of infusion-set bacterial contamination and compare the climate effects, we randomised operating rooms scheduled for total intravenous anaesthesia to handle procedures by infusion-set reuse or single-use. Both methods used dual single-use antireflux valves. The primary outcome was infusion-set bacterial contamination assessed by aerobic culture of infusion-set fluid collected after each procedure. The secondary outcome was CO 2 emissions (CO 2 -eq) estimated by life cycle assessment of component and medication use. To assess feasibility of detecting an inter-method difference in bacterial contamination, an interim analysis was planned after including at least 150 procedures per group. After allocating 54 operating rooms per method, 189 and 159 procedures of reuse and single use were included. Reuse permitted a median of three procedures per infusion set (range 1 to 8). Positive cultures occurred in two procedures per method [mean (95% CI)]; prevalence 1.15% (0.03 to 2.27); relative risk of reuse versus single use 0.84 (0.12 to 5.93), P = 0.861. As prespecified, inclusion was stopped due to futility. The median (95% CI) per-procedure climate emissions were 0.43 (0.41 to 0.47) and 1.39 (1.37 to 1.40) kg CO 2 -eq for reuse and single-use respectively; difference -0.96 (-0.99 to -0.93), P < 0.0005. The main sources for climate emissions were production of infusion-set components and waste handling. We conclude that the prevalence of bacterial contamination was low for both methods. A much larger study would be needed to detect an inter-method difference. Reuse of infusion-set components allowed significantly reduced intravenous anaesthesia climate emissions.

Sustainable management of polyethylene terephthalate waste flow using a fuzzy frank weighted assessment model

The consequences for the ecosystem of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) waste are becoming increasingly significant and widespread. Companies managing PET waste strive to enhance sustainability in all areas. The development of systematic decision-making approaches and frameworks for PET waste management is strongly needed. This research aims to present a new methodological framework for the categorization of the most efficient PET waste management solutions. The introduced fuzzy Frank weighted sum product assessment (FWESPA) model enables rational and flexible reasoning by nonlinearly processing uncertain information. A nonlinear aggregation function is proposed for the fusion of fuzzy strategic options. It is advantageous in simulating the impact of strategic options on a final decision. An integral part of the introduced fuzzy FWESPA model is a reverse sorting algorithm. This innovative algorithm can improve the performance of traditional normalization techniques. Also, an improved fuzzy Frank ordinal priority approach linear model is formulated to define the significance of evaluation criteria. The comprehensive real-life study demonstrates the proposed decision-analytics-based approach. The results showed the following rankings of considered alternatives: “recycling” (ℤA2 = 0.8565) > “energy recovery” (ℤA1 = 0.7364) > “remanufacturing” (ℤA4 = 0.690) > “incineration” (ℤA3 = 0.6592). Based on the results presented, alternatives “recycling” (A2) and “energy recovery” (A1) represent dominant alternatives with a slight advantage of recycling. Research findings can be used when deciding the appropriate way to enhance PET waste handling. The findings also describe the benefits and limitations of each treatment option for PET waste, as well as highlight the crucial challenges.

Determination of Excessive Lifetime Cancer Risk for Workers Exposed to Natural Radioactive Materials in Various Equipment in Oil and Gas Sector

In the oil and gas sector of Basrah, natural radioactive materials are accumulated in various equipment like wellheads, pumps, and separation vessels, often manifested as scales, sludge, and other forms of waste. Without proper preventive measures, these accumulations pose significant risks to workers, the public, and the environment. This study aims to assess the lifelong cancer risks associated with production processes and the handling of resultant waste, be it scale sediments, sludge, or soil. Sample collection across different regions was based on the evaluation of production and storage facilities. Using a high-purity germanium detector (HPGe), activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, and 40K were measured. These concentrations were then used with standard equations to determine indoor effective dose rates. The regional-weighted (the lifetime risk of cancer is a measure of the cumulative risk of cancer over a specific age range and has a clear, intuitive appear) average of the lifetime excessive cancer risk was varied between (0.40 to 0.11 ×10-3) for ELCRoutdoor, (3.13 to 0.86 ×10-3) for ELCRindoor and (0.97 to 3 ×10-3) for ELCRtotal, significantly surpassing the global average value of (0.29x10-3). This disparity underscores the heightened risk posed by these activities, emphasizing the urgent need for enhanced safety measures and regulatory oversight to safeguard human health and the environment.

Review on medical waste management in China and Nigeria.

Medical waste management is an essential component of healthcare delivery globally due to the toxic and contagious potentials on human health and the environment. There are resource limitations in developing nations when it comes to the appropriate handling of medical wastes. In this article, we examined previous studies to evaluate the practices of medical waste management in China and Nigeria. Contextually, this work addresses medical waste practices in the context of waste generation, segregation, collection, storage, transportation, treatment and disposal. In addition to reviewing additional important aspects of medical waste management, the current study addresses potentials and challenges for efficient medical waste management in both countries. For this study; Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PubMed, Agencies, Conferences, National and International Conventions were searched from 1998 up to 2023 for all studies reporting medical waste management in China and Nigeria. To further guarantee that only resource materials with similar research interests in medical waste management were selected, a double screening process was employed. The challenges of medical waste management in both countries are limited financing, inadequate training, ineffective legislation, ineffective medical waste transport system and insufficient treatment technology. Furthermore, this study offers practical recommendations by identifying the particular areas that require attention and development, such as training of healthcare workers, adequate financing of medical waste management projects, including research and development on efficient toxic emission reducing technologies, and partnership with other relevant authorities and stakeholders to ensure enforcement of national and local legislation.

The Risks and Safety Practices of Waste Pickers at Selected Dumping Sites in Pretoria, South Africa, During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the accumulation of household waste continued to rise as the number of COVID-19 patients increased. COVID-19 can survive and be transmitted from contaminated surfaces, making waste pickers more vulnerable and at risk of contracting and spreading the virus through contact with infected household waste. The study assessed safety practices and risks related to waste picking during the COVID-19 pandemic at two selected dumping sites in the north of Pretoria. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data from 81 waste pickers at these landfill sites. Results showed that 100.0% of waste pickers at Site A and 86.7% at Site B collected plastics; 96.7% at Site A and 90.5% at Site B collected bottles; and 100% at Site B and 95.5% at Site A collected metals. The majority, 92.0% at Site A and 90.0% at Site B, were aware of the dangers and risks associated with waste handling if protective gear was not worn. From sites A and B, 97.0% and 90% of the waste pickers respectively had heard of COVID-19, although 51.9% from both sites believed they could not contract COVID-19 while handling waste. Only 18.0% of waste pickers from Site A and 82.0% from Site B faced challenges with purchasing their own PPE. All waste pickers at Site A wore facial masks, whereas 86.0% at Site B did so. Regarding testing for COVID-19, 22.0% from Site A and 19.0% from Site B were tested, with 2.0% from Site A and none (0.0%) from Site B testing positive. It is recommended that all waste pickers be educated about COVID-19 transmission and provided with PPE during the pandemic.

Radionuclide characterization and handling strategy of irradiated Fission Product Material (FPM) capsule waste from molybdenum-99 production

Abstract Irradiated FPM Capsule waste is one of the types of radioactive waste generated from Molybdenum-99 (99Mo) production. This 99Mo is a 99mTc parent radionuclide that is used for the diagnosis of human organ disorders. In its production, the capsule is used for the emplacement of uranium target for irradiation in the GA Siwabessy Reactor. Since the beginning of production until now, the irradiated FPM capsules waste are still being stored in the hot cells because no data on their characteristics and handling systems that are necessary for their treatment. However, long-term storage of the FPM capsules waste in the hot cells shall be avoided because it can disrupt the production process of 99Mo and pose radiation risk to workers. The objectives of this research are to characterize radionuclides composition in the FPM capsule waste and identify its appropriate handling system. The radionuclides characterization was carried out using ORIGEN 2.1 software whereas the selection of the handling system was based on the suitability or modification of the available facilities at Radioactive Waste Management Installation (RWMI)-BRIN. The characterization results show that up to a decay time of 50 years, an FPM capsule waste contains activation product radionuclides such as 55Fe, 59Ni, and 63Ni with a total specific activity of 7.11x106 Bq/g. Three FPM capsule waste handling systems were identified that can be implemented at the RWMI facility, namely by using a 350 -liter concrete shell and then storing in an interim storage for low and intermediate-level waste, using a 60-liter stainless-steel canister which is then stored in the interim storage pit for high-level waste, or by modifying the interim storage pit for high-level waste. Radionuclide characterization and appropriate handling systems are required for the safe management of irradiated FPM capsule waste. This FPM capsule waste management is important for human and environmental protection.

Jakarta's Readiness for the Waste Reduction Program at the Source

DKI Jakarta as the capital of Indonesia has a policy to manage waste (recycling) in a decentralized manner, namely that waste is managed as close as possible to its source, without relying on disposal in landfills anymore. This pro-environment policy targets reducing and handling waste by 30% and 70% respectively by 2030. Currently the program is being implemented, non-residual waste will be processed and recycled in decentralized processing or TPS 3R. In order to achieve this target, the community and government must work together to make changes and must have a sense of ownership, responsiveness, concern and responsibility for the waste produced. This research uses a qualitative approach with observations, questionnaires to 330 respondents and interviews with the community and local government. And this research found that TPS and TP3R public facilities still do not comply with existing regulations and do not meet the criteria for accommodating recycling activities. From 2018-2022, the reduction in waste generation was 9% from the target of 26% and the amount of waste handling was 1.66% from the target of 70%. People still don't recycle for various reasons and there is also a lack of consistency in implementing recycling behaviour due to rational attitudes such as just paying money for waste. The government is obliged to facilitate these recycling activities together with various stakeholders, by carrying out various innovations and outreach to the community, by implementing waste management based on community participation.

Evaluation of Costumer Attitudes: Attributes Product of Mango Peel Powder

Indramayu is the number one mango fruit producing city in West Java Province. While there has been no handling and processing of home industrial waste. This can cause serious problems in the environment. There is a need for an economic and environmentally based waste management system. One of them solution is processing mango peel waste into GOPE (mango peel) powder, products as a natural food additive to replace essence powder products and synthetic powder for food and drinks. The purpose of this study is to analyze consumer attitudes towards the mango peel powder. Consumer attitude is an emotional expression of consumers that shows whether consumers like an object or not so that attitudes can describe the level of consumer confidence in products or services. Consumer attitudes on mango peel powder product attributes describe what priority attributes are taken into consideration in choosing product. This research is a quantitative descriptive using Fishbein's multi-attribute method. Fishbein's Multiattribute Model can measure consumer attitudes using three components: the level of importance, trust, and attitude evaluation. There are thirty who are consumers have consumed essence powder products in the last two months and selected using accidental sampling . The results of this study indicate that research respondents have a positive attitude towards five attributes of Taste, texture, form, composition, smell and one of them are netral about one attributes: colour.

Asbestos in Vietnam: Current situation of usage, waste handling, disposal, and related legislation and policy

Asbestos in Vietnam: Current situation of usage, waste handling, disposal, and related legislation and policy

Improper toy waste handling can harm human health via seafood consumption: A comprehensive health risk assessment of heavy metals

Toy production has been increasing over the last few decades to meet the growing demands for toys across the globe, which has inevitably worsened the problem of toy waste. Given the lack of modern waste disposal facilities, rural villagers in many developing countries often discard and incinerate toy waste in backyards or riverbanks, which may release the pollutants from toys (e.g., heavy metals), contaminate the surrounding areas, and eventually threaten the health of residents. As such, this study examined the impact of improper toy waste handling on the nearby aquaculture site by measuring the contamination level of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the sediment and seafood (crabs, shrimps, and fish). The health risk of heavy metals via seafood consumption was assessed in different groups of people (males, females, teenagers, and seniors). Results showed that the sediment and seafood at the aquaculture site were generally not contaminated with heavy metals (contamination factor and bioaccumulation factor <1). However, consuming the seafood cultured at this site, especially for crabs, could pose a health risk to humans due to As and Cd (hazard quotient > 1), irrespective of their age and gender. This risk could not be lowered by cooking, except As by boiling. Overall, we revealed that improper toy waste handling did not cause severe heavy metal pollution in the surrounding environment, but the consumption of contaminated seafood could still threaten human health. To safeguard public health, we propose that toy waste should be appropriately treated by the authorities concerned. In addition, consuming seafood with long culture periods (e.g., crabs) should be reduced to minimize the dietary intake of heavy metals and their associated health risk.

Challenges and way forward in the handling and disposal of battery waste: Towards sustainable practices

&lt;p&gt;The management and disposal of battery waste, particularly lead-acid batteries, present numerous challenges that must be addressed to ensure environmental protection, public health, and sustainable resource management. This thesis examines the multifaceted nature of these challenges and explores potential solutions for sustainable battery management. Drawing on insights from prior research, field observations, stakeholder interviews, and literature reviews, the study synthesizes existing knowledge to inform strategies for mitigating the environmental, safety, and economic impacts associated with battery waste. The current scenario on battery waste management highlights significant challenges, including environmental pollution, health risks, safety hazards, recycling challenges, regulatory compliance issues, technological limitations, infrastructure constraints, and the need for public awareness and education. Countermeasures to address these challenges encompass regulatory interventions, technological innovations, infrastructure development, capacity building, and public engagement initiatives. By integrating findings from diverse sources, this thesis aims to contribute to the existing knowledge base on battery waste management and propel strategies for sustainable resource management.&lt;strong&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Frequency of occupational health hazards and factors responsible among the waste handlers at the tertiary care hospitals of Karachi.

Hospital waste handlers (HWHs) are in contact with contaminated waste that put them at risk for occupational health hazards. The objective of the study was to determine the frequency of occupational health hazards and identify factors contributing to them among the HWHs at tertiary care hospitals of Karachi. A cross sectional survey was conducted from January 2021 till June 2022 on 417 conveniently selected HWHs of the public and private tertiary care hospitals of the Karachi including three Public sector hospitals (Civil Hospital Karachi, National Institute of Child Health, Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Center) and five private sector hospitals (Sohail University Hospital, Darulsehat Hospital, Kharadar General Hospital, Patel Hospital and Hamdard University Hospital) using a structured questionnaire. Chi Square test was applied to determine the differences in occurrence of different hazardous outcomes (Needle stick injury, Sharp Injury, Eye Symptoms, Skin symptoms, Cough) between different groups of age, gender, type of hospitals and status of being trained in Hospital Waste Management (HWM). Around half of the HWHs (52.6%) labeled the bins of the waste according to their level of hazard. Only 17.9% disinfected the infected waste. The proportion of participants who experienced needle stick and sharp injury in the last six months was 16.3% and 15.8% respectively. Majority of them used disposable gloves (95.7%) and face masks (94.3%). One thirds had access to aprons while only 10.5% had access to protective shoes at their work place. HWHs of private sector were significantly less likely to experience Needle stick injuries, skin symptoms, cough, breathing difficulty and throat burning. The HWM practices in tertiary care hospitals of Karachi is far from being satisfactory. HWHs must be trained and monitored for safe disposal of waste.

Knowledge and Attitude of the Waste Handlers on Healthcare Waste in Bo Government Hospital Southern Sierra Leone

Hospital waste poses risks to patients and waste disposal personnel and poses a threat to public health and the environment. Medical waste management is a new issue that is made worse by a lack of funding, knowledge and training to support solutions. Since these wastes have the potential to directly affect environmental health risks as well as public health risks, their collection and treatment are crucial. Therefore, this study was designed to assess the knowledge and attitude of the waste handlers on healthcare waste generated in Bo Government Hospital. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the health impact of medical waste management at Bo Government Hospital in Sierra Leone. The author used mixed methods to combine semi-structured and self-administered quantitative questionnaires with physicians, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, cleaners, and residents. Near the hospital. A sample of 100 medical staff and residents living near the hospital was taken from Bo Government Hospital using a simple random sampling technique to collect data. Raw data come in a variety of forms, including measurements, questionnaire responses, and observations, and results are presented in tables, graphs, and verbatim using the Statistical Package for Science (SPSS) to present and analyze the collected data. All units participated in data collection, with Human Resources (HR) and laboratories identified as generating more waste, followed by Nursing and Main Theater, where nurses accounted for the majority (n = 27) of respondents participating in the survey. research, followed by cleaners. (n = 13) and CHO (10), the majority of whom were between the ages of 40 and 50 (35%). Some cleaners reported placing their hands on what were identified as major risk factors, endangering workers, despite significant efforts being made to ensure bags were securely tied (81.5%) and carts were washed and disinfected (66.2%). Garbage is not emptied during the day with trolleys (58.5%) being the common means of transportation, while 29.2% handle garbage directly, which can pose a risk. However, 62% of respondents had received formal training in medical waste management. It was recommended that the Ministry of Health continues to organize training courses, especially for cleaning personnel and lower-level employees who have direct daily contact with this waste.

Barriers to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Practices in Mutare District, 2022

Background: Sanitation and hygiene are extremely important for survival, development and health. Inadequate sanitation expose people to water, sanitation and hygiene related diseases. Mutare district has been increasingly recording unsatisfactory bacteriological tests from the first quarter of 2019 to the first quarter of 2023 and water-borne infections have been increasing. We evaluated the WASH program in Mutare district. Methods: We conducted a program evaluation using logical framework approach. Twenty-one health facilities were sampled and 63 participants recruited. An interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to assess healthcare worker (HCW) knowledge and review of environmental records was done. Resources required for the health facilities WASH programs were assessed using a checklist. Frequencies, means and proportions were generated. Results: The median years of service of HCW was 9 years. The district lacked land and water pollution control strategies and consumables for water bacteriological testing. Aquatabs were in limited supply. Some of the visited health facilities (6/21) poorly segregated waste, although all the HCW were mentored on WASH activities. Conclusion: Inadequate water test kits and other resources compromises the performance of the WASH program. Segregation of waste appropriately reduces the risk of infection and injuries among the waste handlers.

Low Temperature Pyrolysis and Exfoliation of Waste Printed Circuit Boards: Recovery of High Purity Copper Foils

Although several techniques have been developed to extract copper from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs), there remain several challenges regarding energy consumption, local area contamination and environmental damage. A novel technique has been developed for extracting copper foils from waste PCBs based on low temperature pyrolysis followed by exfoliation to overcome these issues. The standard pretreatment steps of removing electronic components from PCBs and mechanical processing/size-reduction/powdering, etc., were minimized in this study. Several unsorted ‘as received’ PCBs were heat treated in the temperature range 750–850 °C for 5–20 min. in an argon atmosphere. Brittle dark chars and other residues on the heat-treated specimens were scrapped off to separate copper foils and other residuals. Most of the electronic components mounted on PCBs had dropped off during the heat treatment. Good-quality copper foils were recovered in all cases; the purity of copper was in excess of 85 wt.%. Key impurities present were Pb, Sn and Zn with typical concentrations less than 4 wt.%. Key features of the technique include minimizing energy intensive pre-treatment processes and waste handling, low pyrolysis temperatures and short heating times. This energy-efficient approach has the potential to enhance resource recovery while reducing the loss of materials, local area contamination and pollution near e-waste processing facilities.