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Medical waste management during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak: A mathematical programming model

Kannan Govindan1,2,3, Arash Khalili Nasr4, Parisa Mostafazadeh5

  • 1China Institute of FTZ Supply Chain, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306, China.

Computers & Industrial Engineering
|September 21, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Managing medical waste during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical. This study presents a model to simultaneously minimize costs and pollution risks associated with infectious and non-infectious medical waste, incorporating realistic logistical factors.

Area of Science:

  • Operations Research
  • Environmental Science
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Municipal solid waste (MSW) management is vital for public health and environmental protection.
  • Medical waste, particularly from infectious diseases like COVID-19, poses significant environmental and health risks if not managed properly.
  • Effective medical waste management strategies are essential to mitigate these risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a bi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model for optimizing medical waste management during the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • To simultaneously minimize total management costs and population exposure risks to pollution.
  • To incorporate novel, realistic assumptions into the waste management model.

Main Methods:

  • A bi-objective mixed-integer linear programming model was formulated.
  • The model integrates location-routing, time-windowed green vehicle routing, vehicle scheduling, vehicle failure, split delivery, population risk, and load-dependent fuel consumption.
  • A fuzzy goal programming approach was employed to solve the bi-objective model.

Main Results:

  • The study successfully developed and applied a comprehensive model for medical waste management.
  • The model demonstrated the capability to balance cost reduction with pollution risk minimization.
  • The fuzzy goal programming approach proved efficient for solving the complex bi-objective optimization problem.

Conclusions:

  • The proposed model offers an effective framework for managing medical waste, especially during health crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Integrating realistic logistical and risk factors leads to more robust and sustainable waste management solutions.
  • The methodology provides a valuable tool for policymakers and waste management authorities to enhance operational efficiency and public safety.
Keywords:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)Fuzzy goal programming approachMathematical programming modelMedical waste managementMunicipal solid waste

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