MICROWAVE REMEDIATION OF HAZARDOUS MEDICAL WASTES

项目描述(申请人提供)：本项目拟建设并测试L 20号医疗废物处理机。感染性医疗废物(IMW)主要来自医院，是美国产生的危险废物的主要组成部分。事实上，每年产生的产量超过450万吨。2003年，医院废物补救是一个价值15亿美元的行业。焚烧仍然是主要的处置方法，环境污染、当地强烈反对、交通运输、高昂的成本以及最近(1997年)关闭焚烧炉的法律的威胁持续存在。该公司最近展示了一种修复IMW的新技术，该技术涉及将IMW浸入专有液体中，这些液体专门由微波激活，以与高压灭菌器相同或更有效的方式产生抗菌和抗病毒活性。这项技术使用独特的微波活性液体、专有的微波增强剂和简单的常压技术。它为IMW的补救提供了一种极其廉价、快速、对环境无害的当地服务点方法，可以像当地的复印机或碎纸机一样使用。第一阶段的工作进一步发展了这一点，展示了各种混合IMW的应用，包括金属部件、绷带、手套、棉花等和实际的医院垃圾。通常，使用1.1千瓦的烤箱可以在7分钟内修复650毫升微波液中400克的废物，最终重量/体积减少到原来的15%。对微波液体和废物的热降解产物的详细分析表明没有。建立了修复器的机械样机，设计了一台全微波功能的样机，并对其进行了评估。在之前的工作中，还进行了AOAC杀孢子试验和微波与加热对比试验。在拟议的第二阶段工作中，将建造、测试和改进一个功能齐全的修改器，以得出适合移交给大型合同制造商的设计。将使用AOAC杀孢子剂和定量测试以及实际医院废物的测试来验证性能，并与现有的基准方法进行比较。这项工作是与一家高度专业化的微波设计公司、世界顶尖大学微波化学集团之一、地区生物防御实验室和一家大型医院合作完成的。据估计，该公司技术的修复成本为900美元/吨，焚烧成本为2900美元/吨，微波-蒸汽方法的修复成本更高。这家公司的技术估计，30公斤/小时的生产能力的资本成本不到8K美元，相比之下，现场高压灭菌的成本为18K美元，微波蒸汽的资本成本为8万美元。与公共健康相关：该技术有可能完全取代医疗废物焚烧(已经受到公共卫生问题困扰)以及昂贵的方法，如就地高压灭菌和微波蒸煮，从而产生一种廉价、环境友好和当地服务点的医疗废物补救方法，极大地造福公众[1-26]。独立研究[2-4]表明，它最初(在5年内)可以占据超过20亿美元(2008年)的医疗废物补救市场的10%到30%，随后可能会更多。该公司的技术预计运行成本是其他方法的1/3到1/6，其资本成本是其他方法的1/3到1/10，与其他方法(焚烧除外)留下大量剩余废物相比，它留下的废物不到原来体积的15%。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This project proposes to build and test a 20 L capacity Remediator for medical wastes. Infectious Medical Wastes (IMW), mainly from hospitals, represents a major component of hazardous wastes generated in the U.S.. In fact, more than 4.5 million tons are generated per year. Hospital waste remediation was a $1.5 billion industry in 2003. Incineration remains the predominant disposal method, with continued problems of environmental pollution, severe local opposition, transportation, high costs and the threat of recent (1997) laws shutting down incinerators. This firm recently demonstrated a novel technique for remediation of IMW that involves submersing the IMW in proprietary liquids that are specifically activated by microwaves to generate antimicrobial and antiviral activity in a manner as or more effective than an autoclave. This technique uses unique, microwave-active liquids, proprietary microwave enhancers and simple, ambient-pressure techniques. It yields an extremely inexpensive, rapid, environmentally benign, local, point-of-service methodology for remediation of IMW, usable much as a local-area photocopier or shredder. The Phase 1 work further developed this, demonstrating application to a wide variety of mixed IMW, including metallic parts, bandages, gloves, cotton, etc. and actual hospital wastes. Typically, 400 g of wastes in 650 mL of microwave liquid could be remediated in 7 minutes using a 1.1 KW oven, with final weight/-volume reductions to < 15% of original. Detailed analyses of thermal degradation products of the microwave liquid and wastes showed none. A mechanical prototype of a Remediator was built and a fully-microwave-functional prototype was designed and evaluated. AOAC Sporicidal Tests and microwave-vs.-heat-only tests were also done in the prior work. In the proposed Phase 2 work, a fully functional Remediator will be built, tested and refined, to arrive at a design suitable for handing over to a large contract manufacturer. AOAC Sporicidal and quantitative tests and tests with actual hospital wastes will be used to verify performance, along with comparisons with extant benchmark methods. The work is a collaborative effort with a highly specialized microwave design company, one of the world's premier university microwave chemistry groups, the Regional Bio-Defense Lab, and a large hospital. Estimated remediation costs are $900/ton for this firm's technology, vs. $2900/ton for incineration, and more for microwave-steam methods. This firm's technology's estimated capital cost is less than $8 K for a 30 kg/hr throughput, as compared to $18 K for on-site autoclaving and $80 K for microwave-steam. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The technology could, potentially, entirely replace incineration of medical wastes (already beset with public health problems) as well as expensive methods such as in-situ autoclaving and microwave-steaming, yielding an inexpensive, environmentally benign, and local, point-of-service method for medical waste remediation, to great public benefit [1-26]. Independent studies [2-4] show it could initially (within 5 years) capture about 10% to 30% of the more than $2 billion (in 2008) medical waste remediation market, possibly more subsequently. This firm's technology's estimated running costs are 1/3 to 1/6 that of other methods, its capital costs are 1/3 to 1/10 of other methods, and, in contrast to other methods which (with the exception of incineration) leave a large amount of residual waste, it leaves less than 15% of the original volume of waste.