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Medical Waste from COVID-19 Pandemic-A Systematic Review of Management and Environmental Impacts in Australia
Lynda Andeobu1, Santoso Wibowo1, Srimannarayana Grandhi1
1School of Engineering and Technology, Central Queensland University, Melbourne 3000, Australia.
Insights
The COVID-19 pandemic generated massive medical waste in Australia, requiring effective management and disposal strategies. This study reviews current practices and their environmental and public health impacts to inform future pandemic preparedness.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Waste Management
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global medical waste crisis, with an estimated 2.6 million tons generated daily worldwide.
- Australia faces significant challenges managing single-use medical waste from personal protective equipment and quarantine facilities.
- Increased medical waste raises concerns about transmission risks and environmental contamination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and analyze COVID-19 medical waste management and disposal practices in Australia.
- To assess the public health and environmental impacts of these practices.
- To provide recommendations for sustainable waste management strategies for future pandemics.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive review of prior studies from 2019-2021.
- Analysis of data from various databases focusing on waste generation, management, and disposal.
- Examination of challenges, environmental impacts, and public health concerns related to COVID-19 medical waste.
Main Results:
- Significant generation of single-use medical waste, including PPE, from pandemic response efforts in Australia.
- Identification of increased risks of transmission and waste contamination in quarantine facilities.
- Evaluation of current management and disposal practices and their associated challenges.
Conclusions:
- Appropriate handling and disposal of COVID-19 medical waste are crucial for mitigating public health and environmental risks.
- There is a need for short and long-term strategies to manage pandemic-generated medical waste effectively in Australia.
- Developing sustainable waste management approaches is essential for future pandemic preparedness.
Abstract:
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created a global medical emergency. The unforeseen occurrence of a pandemic of this magnitude has resulted in overwhelming levels of medical waste and raises questions about management and disposal practices, and environmental impacts. The amount of medical waste generated from COVID-19 since the outbreak is estimated to be 2.6 million tons/day worldwide. In Australia, heaps of single-use gowns, facemasks/face shields, aprons, gloves, goggles, sanitizers, sharps, and syringes are disposed everyday as a result of the pandemic. Moreover, the establishment of new home/hotel quarantine facilities and isolation/quarantine centres in various Australian states and territories have increased the risks of transmission among people in these facilities and the likelihoods of general waste becoming contaminated with medical waste. This warrants the need to examine management and disposal practices implemented to reduce the transmission and spread of the virus. This study reviews the various management and disposal practices adopted in Australia for dealing with medical waste from the COVID-19 pandemic and their impacts on public health and the environment. To achieve the aims of this study, prior studies from 2019-2021 from various databases are collected and analysed. The study focuses on generation of medical waste from COVID-19, management and disposal methods, current problems/challenges and environmental and public health impacts. Considering the enormous risks involved and the significance of appropriate handling and disposal of medical waste from COVID-19, this study provides insights on short and long term responses towards managing COVID-19 waste in Australia. The study contributes to Australia's efforts against the transmission and spread of COVID-19 and provides recommendations for the development of workable and sustainable strategies for mitigating similar pandemics in the future.
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