The Escalating Biomedical Waste Management To Control the Environmental Transmission of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Perspective from Two South Asian Countries
The Escalating Biomedical Waste Management To Control the Environmental Transmission of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Perspective from Two South Asian Countries
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DOI：
10.1021/acs.est.0c05117
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发表时间：
2021-01-12
影响因子：
11.4
通讯作者：
Tareq, Shafi M.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Shammi, Mashura;Behal, Arvind;Tareq, Shafi M.
2019冠状病毒病（COVID-19）全球大流行导致全球生物医学废物（BMW）不断增加，管理当局正在努力处理废物。孟加拉国和印度是两个人口密集、资源有限的南亚发展中国家。这两个国家都面临这种疾病的大规模社区传播，印度面临严重的感染和死亡。可以预见的是，大量人口可能会导致大量与covid -19相关的宝马。还有一个能力问题，即各地区现有的宝马政策法规能否在疫情压力下对宝马进行战略管理。在这里，我们展示了一个框架，如果在医疗机构和家庭中产生的宝马没有得到适当管理，将导致COVID-19大流行进一步在环境和社区传播。宝马，如安全服或个人防护装备（PPE）、口罩、手套和盾牌，可能会产生微塑料污染，从长远来看会破坏环境。建议修改关于适当管理医院和家庭感染性废物的现行政策、计划和准则并使之现代化。此外，建议对医院废物管理工作人员进行职业健康和安全评估。建议安装适当容量的焚化炉和相关基础设施，以进行适当的废物管理。在没有焚化炉的情况下，可以使用现有的工业炉、水泥窑和移动焚化炉，并根据适当实施的政策和准则进行快速影响评估。
The global pandemic COVID-19 culminated in escalating biomedical waste (BMW) worldwide, and the management authorities are struggling with waste treatment. Bangladesh and India are two densely populated South Asian developing countries with limited resources. Both countries face mass community transmission of the disease, with India facing severe infections and deaths. Predictably, a large population might sum up to a large amount of COVID-19-related BMW. There is also the question of capacity, whether the existing BMW policies and regulations of the regions can manage the BMW strategically driven by the pressure of the pandemic. Here, we have shown a framework leading to further environmental and community transmission of the COVID-19 pandemic if the BMW generated at healthcare facilities and homes is not appropriately managed. The BMW, such as safety suits or personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, gloves, and shields, would likely damage the environment in the long run by creating microplastic pollution. Modification and modernization of the existing policies, plans, and guidelines on the proper management of the hospital and household infectious waste is suggested. Moreover, occupational health and safety assessments for waste management workers at the hospitals are recommended. Installing suitable capacity incinerators and related infrastructures are recommended for appropriate waste management. In the absence of incinerators, the existing industrial furnaces, cement kilns, and mobile incinerators can be used with a rapid impact assessment adhering to the appropriate implementations of the policies and guidelines.