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| Disposal of dangerous medical waste |
| CCTV.COM 2003-05-13 10:05:27 |
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The outbreak of SARS has seen a dramatic rise in the amount of medical waste, and its proper disposal is critical to ensure that it doesn't become a secondary source of infection. The Chinese government has taken rigorous measures to tackle the issue, including the tightening of disposal standards and the setting up of new disposal sites.
Every day hospitals churn out 40 tons of medical waste, all of which requires extraordinary treatment and has strained the capital's waste disposal capacity. For this reason, new disposal sites have been created. The one in Fengtai district is the largest. About one sixth of the daily hospital waste is being processed there.
"During the burning process, the temperature from these furnaces can reach 800 to 1100 centigrade. Under such temperatures, the waste will be completely incinerated and the virus be killed," said Li Shuangjing,an environmental specialist.
The construction of the site is one of many measures the government has adopted to cope with this aspect of the fight against SARS. On the regulatory side, the State Environmental Protection Administration has been quick to issue new standards for treating medical waste.
"Under the new regulations, SARS infected waste is classified into eight categories, including waste from hospitals－－ human wastes and operation leftovers, waste from labs and so on. All the waste must be disinfected on the spot and then be properly discharged," said Wang Jirong, deputy director with State Environmental Protection Admin.
At hospitals, medical waste is dealt with great caution and care. The material goes into at least two plastic bags each sealed off. The bags are carried out in special plastic containers and into a store room, where they are exposed to ultraviolet rays for one hour.
Treating these wastes is a new challenge for officials in communities with people in quarantine －－ people who have had close contact with SARS patients. But these communities have also developed stringent disposal measures.
"We carefully distinguish waste from quarantined villagers from the rest of villagers. The wastes are collected at the doorstep of each family by special personnel and then transported, stored, and destroyed by our expert team," said Shi Bailin, deputy chief with Beijing Louzi Village.
All medical waste is transported by special vehicles with two protective doors. The vehicle manufacturer says even in case of a traffic accident, the waste will not easily leak from these trucks. The transporting vehicles also avoid rush hours and residential areas, to further minimize risks to the population.
Incineration is the last link in the disposal process and requires high technical standards. In some sites where furnaces are not powerful enough, the cinders require further processing, and this is usually done at cement factories.
Though the whole process for disposal receives little public attention, it is a critical link in the fight against SARS. And thanks to the measures taken, the capital is now well placed to deal with the challenge －－ the more than 20 disposal sites around the city are able to dispose of the 40 tons of waste within the same day they are produced, therefore creating a safe environment for the 13 million inhabitants of the metropolis.
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Editor: Han Ling CCTV.com
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