The clinical laboratory and its impact on the environment

Waste from a Clinical Analysis laboratory can cause contamination and illness if not handled properly. Infectious waste, especially sharps, presents a risk to those who may come into contact with it. Many of diseases due to occupational exposure among health personnel correspond to hepatitis B infections and HIV infections. Laboratories also generate chemical, pharmaceutical and radioactive waste, which requires special handling, and large amounts of common waste. In some countries all this waste is mixed and burned in incinerators and this incineration generates large amounts of polluting substances. These substances can be transported polluting the environment not only where they are burned but also over long distances. If laboratory waste is not treated properly and is disposed of together with common waste, those who handle this waste also face a danger. It is important to promote the reduction of the entry of hazardous substances to the waste stream. There arealternatives that are safer and cleaner than incineration and are equally effective in rendering waste harmless. Being aware of the risks of poor handling of laboratory waste is very important and seeing how to implement measures to minimize these risks is essential.

The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine.

Via Carlo Farini 81
20159 Milano
Italy
ifcc@ifcc.org
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