Health Environmental Issues and Opportunities

The health sector affects the lives of almost everyone in the United States. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the cost to the health care, about 17% of the gross domestic product this year. Many activities in the results of the health sector in land, water or air pollution. Much of the waste is recyclable and is made of paper, cardboard, glass, plastic and metal. There are two other types of solid Waste in health care: regulated medical waste and hazardous waste or chemical weapons. In addition, hospital discharge released large quantities of wastewater and air emissions from their plant operations.

Hospital services are often decentralized, departmental or administered by contracted services. There can be little or no centralized effort. There may be minimal respect, the knowledge and control to minimize waste and environmental impact. IfHealth care organizations want to> really need to cut costs and reduce their carbon dioxide emissions need to embrace sustainability with the full support of top management. They have exactly what they are buying and what to pay to discard.

There are many variables affect the minimization of medical waste:

* The type of products and materials purchased

* The type of waste separation systems

* The extent to which the waste is identified

* The positions of theWaste

The medical waste can be classified as follows:

* City

* Recycling (Pennsylvania Act 101, for example)

* Regulated medical waste (bio-hazardous waste, or Red Bag)

* Hazardous waste (and characteristic waste in mixed waste, pressurized containers of flammable waste and universal)

* Universal Waste (batteries, fluorescent lamps, electronics, mercury-containing devices)

* The waste water, storm water and airEmissions

Municipal Waste:

The U.S. health care produces 6670 tons of waste per day, most of which solid waste or municipal. Of these, waste is more than half of paper and cardboard together. To recycle hospitals with excellent recycling programs more than 40 percent of their total waste.

Recycling:

Many states mandate commercial and residential recycling a variety of materials. For example, Pennsylvania law requires 101Pennsylvania recycling in larger municipalities and requires counties to develop municipal waste management plans. The objectives of the Act are to reduce the production of municipal waste in Pennsylvania, at least 25% recycling of waste to obtain and use recycled and recyclable materials in state authorities and the public about the benefits of recycling and waste reduction.

The municipalities must collect at least 3 of the following materials: clear glass, tinted glass;Plastics, aluminum and steel cans Bimetal, high-grade office paper, corrugated cardboard and newsprint. Commercial facilities, municipal and institutional obligation, aluminum, high-quality office paper and corrugated board along with other materials to recycle elected by the city. Leaf and compost must be separated from waste. Businesses, including hospitals, are encouraged to reduce waste by purchasing durable, repairable, recyclable,throw away recyclable and / or minimal packaging, and on other uses for the surplus assets instead they find.

Regulated medical waste:

Industry Best Practices for the red bag waste are patient between one and three pounds of red bag waste per day, but many hospitals still treating 25% to 30 percent of their total infectious waste stream. Bio-hazardous waste includes sharps, pathological waste, blood and blood products, blood-soaked items and non-regulated chemotherapyWaste. Most patients in medical-surgical areas produce little, if any, infectious waste, but there may be some reluctance on the part of hospitals 'source separated' bio-hazardous waste at the bedside or point of care. Some healthcare organizations are still as any waste in the room of a patient as a red bag waste if the waste is not produced with visible blood. The hospitals are afraid that the quotes with an injury, when a pointWaste to be disposed of improperly.

Advances in pharmaceutical technology has reduced the need for surgery. Changes in health care reimbursement have stay in hospitals and home care and outpatient care reduces increased. Health care products are available in more efficient packaging and the use of plastic instead of glass reduces the weight of many products. Despite all this progress, the purchase and the widespread use of "throwaway"in health care has a large amount of waste that can not be easily created to recycle. Many "single use" medical devices sterilized and processed securely and used again. This saves a significant health organizations U.S. dollars, minimizing their need to buy disposable products.

Hazardous chemical waste:

The health sector is producing only small quantities of hazardous chemicals as the amount of municipal waste orBio-hazardous waste. Hospitals and laboratories produced more volume to carry than other types of hazardous chemicals. Healthcare laboratories, diagnostic tests, often a large amount of some chemicals such as xylene, formaldehyde and alcohol in their processes. Some labs recycling and reuse to avoid chemicals, the cost of disposing of hazardous wastes and the repurchase of new materials. Other laboratories are equipped with the system analysis with chemical reagentsTanks, to reduce the total amount of the chemicals and waste.

Drainage:

Most medical facilities discharge wastewater public sewage treatment plants (POTW) belongs. Outflows are classified as essential foundation for the assessment of six characteristics: (1) toxic potential of pollutants, (2) flow of the waste stream, (3) contamination of conventional pollutants, (4) impact on public health, (5) water quality factors, and (6) close to the coastWaters.

Health Best Practices wastewater are:

* Restrict the use of waste water through conservation and reuse of water, if possible.

* Training of employees in order to use water more efficiently.

* Post signs to discourage at all floor drains and sinks to employees through the sewage system for disposal of oils, liquid carriers, solvents and paints.

* Use non-toxic floor cleaner or "Green Chemistry".

* Consider capping off waste land drains.

* PreventSpills and drips to reach the drain.

* Knowing where the soil flows discharge.

* Setting up a preventive maintenance program for inspection and cleaning of floor drains, traps and oil / water separation.

Air emissions:

Hospitals may generate air emissions from boilers, emergency generators, chemical sterilization (ethylene oxide), air-conditioning and refrigeration, spray booths, fume hoods and laboratory.

Boilers: Many hospitals operate industrial boilersgenerate criteria pollutants (NOx, SO2, particulates, CO) and hazardous air pollutants. NOx emissions from boilers are the most serious air pollutants according to the criteria of the health sector is generated. Click here for information on EPA HAP new standards for boilers.

Incinerator emissions: by medical / infectious waste incinerators HMIWI general, most facilities no longer spot-burning plants.

HealthSustainability:

Through training, education, separation at source, the acquisition of environmental protection, energy conservation, recycling initiatives and waste reduction, green initiative is a major influence on reducing waste and pollution. Health services should be organized by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals and one hand, the sustainability of the program if they have not already done so. A Green Team to reduce waste from medical andTo save money. Watch out for little things big pays dividends. There is also an important component of any organization of public relations and marketing arsenal.

Source: http://health-environmental-issues.chailit.com/health-environmental-issues-and-opportunities-4.html

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