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18-Env-B5 Industrial & Hazardous Waste Management · December 2017

Question 21 of 28: Biggest Challenges in Biomedical Waste Management

Nivaar worked solution (AI-drafted; not reviewed by a licensed engineer)

Notes on this paper

Reference texts: Nemerow & Dasgupta, Industrial and Hazardous Waste Treatment, 2nd ed.; Metcalf & Eddy, Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Resource Recovery, 5th ed.; Davis & Cornwell, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, 6th ed.; LaGrega, Buckingham & Evans, Hazardous Waste Management, 2nd ed.; CCME, Guidelines for the Management of Biomedical Waste in Canada (1992); Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), 1999; Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes (1989); Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) regulations on radioactive waste; provincial hazardous waste regulations (e.g. BC's Environmental Management Act and Hazardous Waste Regulation).

Question 21: Biggest Challenges in Biomedical Waste Management (3 marks)

Question text not reproduced: the examination questions are © Engineers and Geoscientists BC. Open the official past paper (linked at the top of this page) to read the question, then follow the worked solution below.

  1. Proper segregation at the point of generation — busy clinical staff, under time pressure, frequently mis-sort waste into the wrong stream, which both increases the volume requiring the most expensive (biohazard) treatment and creates cross-contamination risk.
  2. Infection-control risk during handling, storage and transport — sharps injuries and pathogen exposure to waste handlers/collectors are a real occupational hazard requiring training, PPE and engineering controls (puncture-resistant containers).
  3. Cost and availability of treatment capacity — incineration/autoclave capacity is expensive to build and operate, and smaller or remote facilities may lack local access, creating pressure to store waste longer than recommended or to under-treat.
  4. Regulatory compliance and public/community acceptance — siting a treatment facility (especially incineration, due to air-emission concerns) often faces community opposition, and multi-jurisdictional (provincial + federal) requirements complicate consistent management.