Healthcare a Waste?

Healthcare activities--for instance, immunizations, diagnostic tests, medical treatments, and laboratory examinations--protect and restore health and save lives. But what about the wastes and by-products they generate?

From the total of wastes generated by health-care activities, almost 80% are general waste comparable to domestic waste. The remaining approximate 20% of wastes are considered hazardous materials that may be infectious, toxic or radioactive. The wastes and by-products cover a diverse range of materials, including chemicals and pharmaceuticals, which amount to about 3% of waste from health-care activities.

The major sources of health-care waste are hospitals and other health-care establishments, laboratories and research centers, mortuary and autopsy centers, animal research and testing laboratories, blood banks and collection services, and nursing homes for the elderly.

Healthcare waste is a reservoir of potentially harmful microorganisms, which can infect hospital patients, healthcare workers and the general public. Other potential infectious risks include the spread of, sometimes resistant, microorganisms from healthcare establishments into the environment. These risks have so far been only poorly investigated. Wastes and by-products can also cause injuries, for example radiation burns or sharps-inflicted injuries; poisoning and pollution, whether through the release of pharmaceutical products, in particular, antibiotics and cytotoxic drugs, through the waste water or by toxic elements or compounds such as mercury or dioxins.

Although treatment and disposal of health-care wastes aim at reducing risks, indirect health risks may occur through the release of toxic pollutants into the environment through treatment or disposal:

• Landfilling can potentially result in contamination of drinking water. Occupational risks may be associated with the operation of certain disposal facilities. Inadequate incineration, or incineration of materials unsuitable for incineration can result in the release of pollutants into the air. The incineration of materials containing chlorine can generate dioxins and furans3, which are classified as possible human carcinogens and have been associated with a range of adverse effects. Incineration of heavy metals or materials with high metal contents (in particular lead, mercury and cadmium) can lead to the spread of heavy metals in the environment. Dioxins, furans and metals are persistent and accumulate in the environment. Materials containing chlorine or metal should therefore not be incinerated.

Improvements in health-care waste management rely on the following key elements:

• The build-up of a comprehensive system, addressing responsibilities, resource allocation, handling and disposal. This is a long-term process, sustained by gradual improvements;
• Awareness raising and training about risks related to health-care waste, and safe and sound practices;
• Selection of safe and environmentally-friendly management options, to protect people from hazards when collecting, handling, storing, transporting, treating or disposing of waste.

Government commitment and support is needed to reach an overall and long-term improvement of the situation, although immediate action can be taken locally by managers of hospitals and other health-care establishments, policy makers, public health professionals and managers involved in waste management.

Source — World Health Organization

Arrival of Summer Presents Challenges for the Petroleum Refining Industry

The summer season generally brings with it higher demand for transportation fuels which serves the Petroleum Refining Industry well, although the season also holds the potential for costly hurricanes. This summer, refiners have to worry not only about the weather, but also about the extreme cost of crude oil and the consumers that are increasingly changing their driving habits to reduce fuel consumption. Before the summer months arrived, consumer demand and consumption of transportation fuels had dropped in comparison with last year's demand.

The affect of reduced demand, a shortage in labor and the resulting depressed margins has influenced the delay of many planned turnarounds for the summer of this year. Currently, Industrial Info is tracking an estimated 145 unit or refinery turnarounds that are planned to take place during the summer of 2008. This is a 10% decrease in turnaround activity compared to 2007. Many refinery owners, hoping for better margins, have delayed major turnarounds until the summer 2009.

Summer weather patterns, specifically hurricanes, greatly influence refinery operations in the coastal regions of the U.S. A direct hit from a hurricane in the Gulf Coast region has the potential to disrupt offshore drilling operations as well as a large number of the 33 operating petroleum refineries located in the region that process an estimated 7.6 million barrels daily. The impact of a hurricane passing through Texas or Louisiana would be tremendous, creating complicated supply-and-demand problems.

In the U.S., there are a number of multi-billion dollar refinery expansions planned or underway, as well as grassroot construction of refineries. Some of these expansions are expected to provide new capacity by the 2010 or 2011 timeframe, alleviating some of the supply-side pressure. These expansions have their own set of challenges, including the extremely long lead delivery times for key components of the project. Coke drums and other specialty items can require as much as 32 to 36 months of delivery time, partly because of a backlog in the few shops capable of fabricating these critical and complicated pieces of equipment.

Source — Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)

Vast Majority of Manufacturers Outsource Hazardous Waste Management

Environmental Information Limited, in a recently released EI Digest market report, estimates that US manufacturers send approximately 7 million tons per year of hazardous waste and wastewater to commercial disposal, energy recovery, recycling and treatment facilities. This estimate was developed in a multiyear effort by examining biennial reports submitted by manufacturers who are large quantity generators of hazardous waste.

The study is based on the examination of biennial reporting of over 20,000 large quantity hazardous waste generators and independent research done by Environmental Information Limited. Almost all the large quantity generators relied upon outsourcing their hazardous waste and wastewater management to commercial facilities. Small quantity generators are accounted for in the estimate through independent research done by EI Digest.

"Outsourcing is the logical alternative for most manufacturers because commercial facilities have economies of scale that make them more affordable," stated EI senior analyst Cary Perket. "Typically only manufacturers who generate very large volumes can justify the cost of their own captive hazardous waste management facility."

The notable exceptions to this outsourcing involved aqueous waste, or wastewater. Over 1,000 manufacturers treat hazardous wastewater at the manufacturing facility by conventional wastewater treatment which is primarily regulated under the Clean Water Act. In addition, large quantities of aqueous waste are captively managed by underground injection on the manufacturing site property.

Source — Environmental Information Limited

Solar Water Heaters Now Mandatory in Hawaii

Hawaii has become the first state to require solar water heaters in new homes. It requires the energy-saving systems in homes starting in 2010. It prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Hawaii relies on imported fossil fuels more than any other state, with about 90 percent of its energy sources coming from foreign countries, according to state data.

The new law prohibits issuing building permits for single-family homes that do not have solar water heaters. Some exceptions will be allowed, such as forested areas where there are low amounts of sunshine.

State senator Gary Hooser, vice chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee, first introduced the measure five years ago when he said a barrel of oil cost just $40. Since then, the cost of oil has more than tripled.

“It’s abundantly clear that we need to take some serious action to protect Hawaii because we’re so dependent on oil,” Hooser said. “I’m very pleased the governor is recognizing the importance of this bill and the huge public benefits that come out of it.”

Source — Environmental News Network

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