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

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
Energy-Inc Number
500 tons of waste per day
22,000 KWh of electricity or thee quivalent of 22,000 homes per hour
1,100,000MM btu of thermal energy per year or
1,885,000 MMbtu of syn gas per year
and
9,125 tons of biochar annually

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
Pyrolysis (Gibbs), Gasification (Gibbs), Thermal Res Chamber (Kinetic), Steam generator (Heat exchanger), APC? (Scrubber)

11. Process Flow Diagram
PGM: [Pyrolysis (Kinetic), Gasification (Kinetic)], Thermal Residence Chamber: [bringing to equilibrium (Gibbs)], HRSG: [Steam generator (Heat exchanger)], APC (Scrubber, condenser, etc)

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/