Modelling seasonal variation in biomedical waste generation at healthcare facilities

A mathematical model can help waste planners to optimize waste management systems related to environmental protection. It can also help government bodies set guidelines and regulations, and evaluate prevailing strategies for handling and disposal of waste. In this paper, a technique to develop a mathematical model to correlate the generation rate of biomedical waste (contaminated with blood and body fluid) as a function of bed occupancy and type of ailment (in terms of seasonal changes) using data for two consecutive years from three different healthcare facilities is presented. The data exhibit different trends in biomedical waste generation rates and number of beds occupied in two different years. However, the seasonal variation in biomedical waste production rate remained nearly the same during these 2 years. The fixed trend in biomedical waste generation rate in two consecutive years could be due to similar seasonal illnesses pattern and social factors.