Microbiological waste (cultures, stocks and biologicals) include the following:
Items infectious to humans (those that require Risk Group 2 and above containment): cultures and stocks from medical, pathological, or research laboratories, and their associated biologicals including bacteria, viruses, fungi and other parasites.
Human, primate and any other cell lines, even in the absence of overt contamination, may contain latent viruses and/or other opportunistic pathogens or zoonotic agents (capable of transmitting disease from animals to man).
Waste from the production of biologicals (e.g., biologicals defined as serums, vaccines, antigens, antitoxins, cell lines, and cultures), as well as materials used for spill cleanups.
Discarded live or attenuated vaccines and biological toxins.
Systems used to grow and maintain infectious agents in vitro, including but not limited to: nutrient agars, gels, and broths.
Culture dishes and devices used to transfer, inoculate or mix cultures, including but not limited to: plastic or glass plates, paper, gloves, growth media, gels, filters, stoppers, plugs, flasks, inoculation loops and wires, contaminated pipette tips, tubes, stirring devices, jars, etc.
Pathological
Pathological waste include the following:
Human pathological waste, including tissues, organs, body parts and body fluids that are removed during surgery, autopsy or other medical procedures. Human pathological waste also includes specimens of body fluids and their containers.
Human cadavers and other anatomical waste.
Organs and tissues fixed for histological or cytological examinations. These must be processed as hazardous waste since the fixatives used are considered to be hazardous chemicals.
Blood and Body Fluids (Volumes greater than 20 ml)
Blood and blood-product waste include the following:
Human blood, cerebrospinal fluid, synovial fluid, pleural fluid, peritoneal fluid, pericardial fluid, amniotic fluid, and any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood.
Waste human blood and products of blood, items saturated and/or dripping with human blood, or items saturated and/or dripping with human blood that are now caked with dried human blood; to include serum, plasma and other blood components and their containers which were used or intended for use in patient care, testing, laboratory analysis, or the development of pharmaceuticals and intravenous bags.
Containers and/or materials containing free-flowing blood or blood components, and materials saturated with blood or blood products, tissue, organs, body parts, body fluids removed during autopsy, or obtained during other medical procedures, specimens or body fluids and their containers and discarded material saturated with such body fluids (other than urine).
Discarded waste blood and/or blood components (e.g., serum, plasma). Excluded from blood products category are feminine hygiene products used to absorb menstrual flow and band-aids, bandages and gauze.
Sharps
Sharps include the following:
Sharps that have been used in animal or human patient care in medical clinics or research laboratories, discarded used or unused needles (even if not exposed to any infectious agents), hypodermic needles, and complete syringes (needle & syringe body).
Pasteur pipettes, scalpel blades and razor blades in contact with infectious agents.
Broken glass, broken plastic petri dishes, rigid plastic culture tubes, flasks, beakers and other labware that has been in contact with infectious agents; and blood vials used in animal or human patient care, medical research, and clinical laboratories.
Broken or unbroken glass slides and their covers that have been in contact with infectious agents.
Syringe barrels.
Uncontaminated scalpel blades and razor blades.
Used or unused hypodermic needles and suture needles.
Exposed ends of dental or orthopedic wires.
Plastic speculums.
Animal Waste and Carcasses
Animal material and carcasses include the following:
Animal waste contaminated with a known infectious agent.
Contaminated animal carcasses, body parts, body fluids, blood, or bedding from animals known to be contaminated with infectious agents (e.g., zoonotic organisms); or from animals inoculated during research, production of biologicals, or pharmaceutical testing with infectious agents.
Isolation
Isolation waste from persons or animals infected with Risk Group 2 or above organisms include the following:
Patient isolation waste including biological waste and discarded materials contaminated with blood, excretion, exudates or secretions from humans who are isolated to protect others from highly communicable diseases (excludes linens, towels, etc.).
Isolated animals known to be infected with highly communicable diseases.
Waste from Quarantine of Imported Non Human Primates (NHPs) including: shavings, crates, paper, work clothing; personal protective equipment (PPE), medicines and animals. This is required as a control measure for preventing the spread of communicable diseases.
Cytotoxic Drugs
Cytotoxic drugs include the EPA non-regulated cytotoxic agents. EPA regulated cytotoxic drugs must be disposed of through a chemical waste program.
The EPA regulated cytotoxic drugs include chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, daunomycin, melphalan, mitomycin C, streptozotocin and uracil mustard.
Urine and Feces
Urine and feces from animals and/or humans.
Urine and feces can be disposed of via local sewer and solid waste options.
Biological Waste Biohazardous Waste (Non-regulated)
Non-regulated biohazardous waste is waste not capable of producing an infectious disease in humans.
All non-regulated waste should be autoclaved or otherwise decontaminated per laboratory procedures prior to disposal in the trash.
Autoclaving is the preferred method for decontamination and all labs handling BSL2 to BSL3 agents should have a steam autoclave house within a restricted area that may serve several laboratories.
The principal investigator, researcher, lab director, or supervisor must train all employees charged with operating autoclaves.
Autoclave tape that will change color after the correct conditions have been met for sterilizing is highly recommended as a visual safeguard.
Biohazardous Waste (Regulated Medical Waste)
Regulated Medical Waste is any waste capable of producing an infectious disease in humans.
The Regulated Medical Waste Decision Tree (PDF Format; 8 KB) will help you determine if the waste is regulated or not.
All regulated medical waste must be disposed of through EHSS' Regulated Medical Waste Program.
A waste shall be considered capable of producing an infectious disease in humans if it has been, or is likely to have been, contaminated by an organism potentially pathogenic to humans.
Persons who generate regulated medical waste are responsible for preparing the waste so that potential occupational exposures and environmental contamination are minimized.
Regulated medical waste is not to be transported outside of a building except by EHSS personnel.
Waste Streams Handled as Regulated Medical Waste
Cultures and stocks of microorganisms and biologicals Discarded cultures, stocks, specimens, vaccines, and associated items likely to contain organisms likely to be pathogenic to healthy humans.
Blood and blood products Wastes consisting of human blood, human blood products and items contaminated by human blood.
Human tissues and other anatomical wastes All human anatomical wastes and all waste that are human tissues, organs, body parts, or body fluids.
Sharps Sharps likely to be contaminated with organisms that are pathogenic to healthy humans and all sharps used in patient care or veterinary practice.
Some animal carcasses, body parts, bedding, and related wastes Animal carcasses, body parts, bedding, and related wastes if the animal has been intentionally infected with pathogenic organisms and are likely to be contaminated.
Waste Streams Not Handled as Regulated Medical Waste
Used products for personal hygiene, such as diapers, facial tissues and sanitary napkins.
Material, not including sharps, containing small amounts of blood or body fluids, but containing no free flowing or unabsorbed liquid (e.g., Band-Aids).
These types of waste may go directly into the regular household trash.
Procedures for Packaging and Pick-up of Regulated Medical Waste
Identify the waste streams in your laboratory that must be handled as Regulated Medical Waste.
Obtain waste packaging materials from the concerned agency
Properly package the waste:
Place waste into red biohazard bag
Sharps go in a sharps container and then into a red biohazard bag; and
Blunt materials such as gloves, cultures, and spill clean-up debris directly into red biohazard bag.
Once bag is full, tie the bag shut and place into another red bag-lined biohazard box.
Gather the liner bag and tape it shut.
Gather the top of the taped liner bag, fold the loose end over itself and tape it again.
Close the box and tape the seam once.
Fill out all information on the self-sticking label.
Put label on area marked "GENERATOR" (left bottom corner of side of box).
Biowaste is material from procedures involving microbes, tissue culture or samples. Much of this material poses only a slight hazard at worst, but still is disposed as biowaste due to the many different people that might contact Bio-waste.
Incineration:
Consider having your biowaste incinerated if:
-You do not have access to an autoclave or sterilization method.
-You do not have access to a biowaste dumpster
-Your biowaste is sufficiently dangerous or unpleasant so that it should not go to a landfill.
The burn box must be double lined with red biohazard bags, marked "incinerate only" and weigh less than 50 pounds. Lab personnel are responsible for insuring that these boxes are leakproof and for scheduling pickup of the waste through the concerned agency.
Tips for Safe and Proper Autoclaving:
1. Clean the drain strainer and load the autoclave properly per the manufacturer's recommendations.
2. Before loading containers of liquids into the autoclave, the caps must be loosened.
3. Use a tray with a solid bottom and walls to contain the bottles and catch spills.
5. Add 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water so the bottles will heat evenly.
6. Individual glassware pieces should be within a heat resistant plastic tray on a shelf or rack.
7. Indicator vials (Chemical Indicators or Thermal Indicators) need to be placed at the center of the bag during testing to be certain your sterilization procedure is adequate. Attach a string or wire to the vial for easy removal after autoclaving.
8.Autoclave smaller quantities more frequently as needed and don't overstuff bags.
9. Make sure the door of the autoclave is fully closed and the correct cycle has been selected.
10. Wear heat-resistant gloves when cracking the autoclave door open after a run.
11. Before removing autoclaved items, wait 5 minutes for loads containing only dry glassware, and 10 minutes for autoclaved liquid loads.
12. When removing items from the autoclave, wear a rubber apron, rubber sleeve protectors, heat resistant mitts, a face shield and closed toe shoes. Remove the load and let the glassware cool for 15 minutes.
13. Be alert for autoclaved liquid bottles still bubbling. Let liquid loads stand in an out-of-the-way place for a full hour before touching with ungloved hands.
Landfill:
About 95% of Bio-biowaste goes to a landfill following special state-approved procedures in certain countries. Bio-agreement with the landfill operators states that all biowaste be sterilized before it leaves the place.
1. Insure that all biowaste gets diverted from the regular trash. You do this by putting all of your tissue culture plates and flasks, well trays, blood-soaked materials and other materials that even look like they could be biohazardous, into clearly marked bags and containers.
2. Be certain that your autoclave is working properly by carrying out a regularly scheduled autoclave certification program.
3. Be sure that all biological waste is autoclaved. You indicate this by using autoclave tape or bags that change color when autoclaved.
4 Some biowaste may be sterilized through other means, such as chemical disinfectants (bleach, quaternary ammonium salts, formaldehyde, etc.).
5. Fill out the biowaste logbook located at the autoclave or where its maintained.
5. Bring your material to the "Disinfected Biological Material Only" Dumpster. Dumpsters are to be cleared regularly.
Validation
After developing operational procedures, the various biowaste streams are to be validated with housekeeping, chemotherapy team, animal resources personnel, clinic areas and a small percent of the research laboratories. Environmental Team meet with affected managers and refined the process.
Defining Responsibilities
Responsibilities were defined for all faculty and staff, ranging from principal investigators to the housekeeping personnel.
To fulfill their general responsibilities, all faculty and staff must:
Participate in the initial and annual refresher training course.
Receive Hepatitis B vaccines and/or demonstrate immunity.
Use and wear appropriate PPE when handling biowaste.
Package biowaste in containers designated for biowaste.
Label all containers with pre-generated labels.
Transport biowaste to accumulation area.
Biowaste Program Development The Environmental Team should:
Develop, validate and implement a University Biowaste Program.
Develop and implement an initial and annual refresher training course.
Determine which university organizations are to collect and dispose of biowaste.
Ensure that all biowaste received is weighed and recorded by class.
Issue biowaste receipts for all biowaste collected.
Determine record retention policy and responsibilities.
Housekeeping staff should:
Inspect biowaste accumulation area weekly.
Disinfect biowaste storage area weekly.
Schedule and complete periodic shipments.
Maintain accumulation and storage facilities, accumulation container labeling and collection records.
Send copies of the manifests to the record retention organization.
The Animal Resource Program personnel should:
Collect animal waste and carcasses as required.
Disinfect biowaste storage area weekly.
Schedule and complete periodic shipments.
Maintain accumulation and storage facilities, accumulation container labeling and collection records.
Inspect biowaste accumulation areas weekly.
Schedule and complete periodic shipments.
Send copies of manifests to the record retention organization.
