Design, installation and testing of a bioremediation-based system for treating regulated medical waste

Abstract

Disposal of regulated waste has become a major challenge for the generators. Disposal of such waste is regulated by local, state and federal agencies and the problem is intensified because of liability issues, public perception and increasing cost.

This document describes the mechanical design, installation and testing of a system that employs bioremediation to disinfect regulated medical waste. Currently marketed treatment systems generally use either heat or extreme pH to disinfect medical waste.

The most common and widely accepted of these, incineration, is rapidly losing favor because of undesirable emissions and hazardous by-product. The system described in this document is the first to use a biological process. The advantages of using this system include the absence of harmful effluents or emissions, low cost of operation, reduction of waste volume and disposal directly into landfill and sewers.

The evolution of system design from conceptual stage to the design of a system for Lewis-Gale hospital is described. A general overview of the components is presented and the selection and testing criteria are explained. The components used in Lewis-Gale hospital are described with a detailed layout scheme.

A detailed failure analysis was done for each component used in Lewis-Gale hospital. This is presented with contingency plans developed for prolonged system failure. Finally, the operators manual developed for the Lewis-Gale hospital is included.