Treatment and Reutilization of Medical Waste

1. Treatment and Reutilization of Medical Waste CHBE446 Team 2: Heather Cook, Savannah Green, Mike Wellen, Dave Weglein

2. Agenda • Introduction • Market Analysis • Current Uses • Goals • Process Outline • Safety Considerations • Concluding Remarks

3. What is medical waste? • According to the EPA: “Any solid waste that is generated in the diagnosis, treatment, or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals” • Plastics, textiles, PVC • Biological material/waste • Glass (syringes) • Dressings livescience.com

4. How is it regulated? • Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988 • Cradle to grave tracking system • Management standards for segregation, packaging, marking, labeling, and storage of medical waste • Record keeping requirements & penalties for mismanagement • Coalition for Safe Community Needle Disposal • Drop box/collection sites, mail-back programs, syringe exchange programs, at home needle destruction devices • Specific state regulations • For MD regulations, visit www.mde.maryland.gov

5. Is there a market for it? • Yes! • Hospitals, doctors offices, medical research facilities • Seeking ways to cut costs • Several billion pounds of waste generated each year • Market for the products • Get paid to take the inputs holykaw.alltop.com

6. Current Uses (I) • Company - Environmental Energy Resources • Uses “Plasma-Gasification-Melting” (PGM) technique • High conversion of waste to syngas, steam, and solids • Pyrolysis and gasification • Plants in Russia and Israel

7. Current Uses (II) • Company - Energy-Inc • Pyrolysis (decompose organics w/o O2) • Gasification (produce syngas w/o combustion) • Heat/energy • Syngas: 1,885,000 MMbtu/year • Biochar: 9,125 tons of biochar annually • Electricity: 22,000 kWh

8. Our Goals • Switch from disposal to utilization • Sterilize and recycle waste • Optimize the process to reutilize as much waste as possible • Create a cost effective process • Save money, preserve landfill space, follow regulations thecambelltimes.com

9. Overall Inputs/Outputs • Inputs: (~10 tons/day) • Gauze (99% collagen) • Plastic (syringes) • Gloves (latex) • Needles • Outputs: • Steam • CO2 • Possibly the syngas itself • Organic fertilizer ljworld.com

10. General Steps • Separate waste in specified containers (completed by medical facilities) • Pick up waste and deliver to reutilization facility • Send to reactor to turn into syngas • Send to Thermal Residence Chamber, which keeps the gasification going and brings to equilibrium • Go through a heat recovery steam generator • Clean gas with APC equipment and send to be sold or combusted

11. Process Flow Diagram

12. Unit Operations • Heat exchangers • Reactors • Separators/scrubbers • Pumps/compressors

13. Safety and Environmental Considerations • Personal protective equipment while handling waste and equipment (goggles, mask, etc) • Specified containers for different types of waste • Proper labeling • Sterilization of product before reuse • Controls in process • Regulation of outputs • Caution - high temperatures and pressures cvcenvironmental.com

14. Takeaway Points • Proper disposal of medical waste has been regulated since 1988 • Hospitals demand more cost effective waste treatment techniques • Emphasis on reusing the treated waste • Medical waste can be turned into useful, profitable products such as steam, syngas, and fertilizers

15. Thank you!

16. References http://www.epa.gov/osw/nonhaz/industrial/medical/ http://www.eer-pgm.com/_Uploads/dbsAttachedFiles/May_2011.pdf http://www.energy-inc.com/technology/ http://rpn.baumpub.com/news/1599/new-conversion-process-designed-to-eliminate-medical-waste-in-landfills http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261912002322 http://www.inentec.com/pemtm-technology/process-details.html