Chapter 9 - Biohazardous Waste Management
9.1 Scope
While this protocol is included as a part of the Biosafety Manual, it applies to all generator of medical
waste as defined by the regulation and this protocol at this university. The applicability is defined by the
Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Rules and Regulations Pertaining to the Management of Medical
Waste from Generators and Health Care Related Facilities promulgated under the authority of Ark. Code
Ann. § 20-7-109 and Ark. Code Ann. § § 20-32-101 – 112.
9.2 Biohazardous Waste Definition
Medical waste (also known as biohazardous waste or infectious waste) is waste that requires
inactivation of the biological material in an approved manner prior to final disposal. It includes the
following:
Pathological waste - all human unfixed tissues, organs and anatomical parts, other than intact
skin, which emanate from surgeries, obstetrical procedures, dental procedures, autopsies and
laboratories, including embalming waste Such waste shall be exclusive of bulk formaldehyde and
other preservative agents.
Liquid or semi-liquid blood such as human blood, human blood components and/or products
made from human blood (e.g., serum, plasma) and other potentially infectious materials, to
include regulated human body fluids such as semen, vaginal secretions, cerebrospinal fluid,
pleural fluid, pericardial fluid, synovial fluid, peritoneal fluid, amniotic fluid, saliva in dental
procedures, any body fluid that is visibly contaminated with blood, and all body fluids where it is
difficult or impossible to differentiate between body fluids, can be discharged into the collection
system of a publicly owned treatment works (POTW) within the generating facility. Breast milk,
urine, and feces are not considered medical waste and can also be discharged into the (POTW).
Contaminated items to include dressings, bandages, packing, gauze, sponges, wipes, personal
protective equipment, cotton rolls and balls, etc., which cannot be laundered or disinfected and from which blood, blood components, or regulated body fluids drip freely, or that would release
blood or regulated body fluids in a liquid or semi-liquid state if compressed or are caked with
dried blood or regulated body fluids and all capable of releasing these materials during handling,
not to include feminine products, enema bags, used condoms, or diapers.
Contaminated disposable, single-use gloves such as surgical or examination gloves
shall not be washed or decontaminated for reuse and are to be handled as a
contaminated item.
Protective coverings such as plastic wrap and aluminum foil used to cover
equipment and environmental surfaces when removed following their
contamination are considered a contaminated item.
All patient care items from hospital isolation rooms and end-stage renal dialysis
units, or from patients with communicable diseases, which cannot be laundered
and which are contaminated with regulated body fluids or blood or potential
infectious material, must be considered a contaminated item.
Biological waste and discarded materials contaminated with blood, excretion,
exudates, or secretions from isolated animals known, or suspected, to be infected
with communicable diseases.
Microbiological waste which includes, but is not limited to, cells and tissue cultures, culture
medium or other solutions and stocks of infectious agents, organ cultures, culture dishes,
devices used to transfer, inoculate and mix cultures, paper and cloth that has come in contact
with specimens or cultures and discarded live or attenuated vaccines.
Contaminated sharps which include, but is not limited to, any contaminated object that can
penetrate the skin, e.g., hypodermic needles, intravenous tubing with needles attached,
syringes with attached needles, razor blades used in surgery, scalpel blades, Pasteur pipettes,
capillary tubes, broken glass from laboratories, and dental wires. Potentially breakable
container(s) of blood, regulated body fluid, microbiological waste, or infectious material must be
treated as contaminated sharps when disposed of. Sharps that have been used in human or
animal patient care, treatment or for other medical procedures are included. Any waste
produced in the course of physically altering a human being or animal including tattooing, ear
piercing, or any other process where a foreign object is used to cut or pierce the skin. All waste
generated in this manner meeting the definition of sharps must be handled accordingly.
Veterinary waste to include any and all animal related waste (carcasses, body parts, bulk blood
and blood products, bedding of animals, etc.) which meets the definition of any of the five
categories delineated above and has been or is suspected to have been exposed to a zoonotic
disease or pathogens known to cause human disease, or which has been exposed to human
pathogens in research or the production of biological, must be handled as medical waste. All
contaminated sharps and microbiological waste must be handled as medical waste.
Trace contaminated chemotherapy waste that can be treated as medical/infectious waste. Bulk
wastes such as full expired vials of chemotherapy drugs are considered to be chemical waste
NOT biological waste and should be managed accordingly. Trace contaminated chemotherapy
waste includes: Masks
Empty drug vials
Gloves
Gowns
IV tubing
Empty IV bags/bottles and
Spill clean-up materials.
Spill/clean-up material collected during or resulting from the clean-up of a spill of regulated
medical waste.
Crime scene/accident/trauma clean-up waste generated by individuals or commercial entities
hired to clean crime scenes or accidents that are saturated with human blood, sharps, or sharp
objects contaminated with human blood.
Recombinant DNA. All contaminated liquid, solid, carcasses, and animal wastes from research
activities involving RG-2 agents requiring BSL-2 and ABSL-2 containment. All contaminated
liquid, solid, carcasses, and animal wastes from research activities involving RG-3 agents
requiring BSL-3 and ABSL-3 containment. NOTE: Although RG1-associated DNA is not included
in the definition of medical waste; all materials that have been in contact with recombinant
DNA must be decontaminated prior to disposal in the sewer or trash. These items are not
subject to the logging requirements described for autoclaves and chemical disinfection but
they must still be rendered biologically inactive. This includes recombinant plants.
Additional wastes may be added at the discretion of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
and the EHS director.
9.3 Responsibilities
9.3.1 Principal Investigator or Faculty in Charge of Lab
The principal investigator or faculty in charge of the lab is responsible for:
Identifying the biohazardous waste generated by their activity
Segregating biohazardous waste into the appropriate waste stream
Managing biohazardous waste in accordance with this protocol and
Providing appropriate training to personnel under their supervision.
9.3.2 Biological Safety Officer (BSO)
The biological safety officer is responsible for:
Providing training upon request for management of biohazardous waste and Inspecting laboratories to ensure compliance with this protocol.
9.3.3 Environmental Health and Safety (EHS)
EHS is responsible for:
Picking up those biohazardous wastes requiring offsite treatment from laboratories in a timely
manner
Final packaging, manifesting and shipping them for disposal and
Recordkeeping for wastes shipped off-site in compliance with ADH regulations.
9.4 Disinfection
Arkansas Department of Health requires that any material or surface that comes in contact with an
infectious substance must be disinfected prior to reuse. Disinfection is accomplished by appropriate use
of an EPA registered disinfectant used according to the label instructions for the agent being inactivated.
The most familiar disinfectants that are registered with the EPA are bleach (active ingredient sodium
hypochlorite) at a concentration of 10% (1 part household bleach mixed with 9 parts water, hitherto
called 10% bleach), Cavicide, and 70% isopropyl alcohol. However, the disinfectant chosen must be
effective against the agent that is being inactivated. If assistance is needed with this, contact EHS.
9.5 Treatment, Storage and Disposal
Arkansas Department of Health requires that biohazardous (medical) waste be treated by chemical
disinfection, incineration or steam sterilization before disposal. Arkansas State University requires that
all biohazardous waste be treated with 10% bleach (liquids only), sterilized by autoclave or packaged for
offsite contract incineration.
9.5.1 General Storage and Disposal Methods for Different Types of Waste
Disposable sharps are deposited in a sharps container. All disposable sharps waste are treated
offsite. Re-usable sharps are safely segregated and contained in leak-proof, rigid, punctureresistant containers while awaiting cleaning, decontamination, and sterilization before re-use.
Liquid biohazardous waste is chemically treated with bleach and disposed via sanitary sewer or
autoclaved and disposed via sanitary sewer or contained in a biohazard bottle which is placed in
a biohazard bin. Biohazard bins are treated offsite by incineration; disposal is by the University’s
Infectious Waste Contractor.
Solid biohazardous waste is either autoclaved in a clear autoclave bag lacking the biohazard
symbol then disposed of as ordinary trash or placed in a biohazard bin. Biohazard bins are
treated offsite by incineration; disposal is by the University’s Infectious Waste Contractor. Red
or orange bags, or bags marked as biohazard cannot be disposed as ordinary trash, regardless of
whether they were autoclaved.
Infectious animal body parts or carcasses are contained in biohazard bags, kept in designated
freezers or refrigerators until pickup by EHS. They are placed in a biohazard bin before removal
from the lab. Biohazard bins are treated offsite by incineration; disposal is by the University’s
Infectious Waste Contractor. 9.5.2 Chemical Treatment Standards
Household bleach is 5.5 - 10 % sodium hypochlorite. The appropriate concentration of sodium
hypochlorite for disinfecting liquid waste, e.g. supernatants from cell culture, is 5000 ppm,
approximately 0.5%. A 1:10 (v/v) dilution of bleach to liquid biological waste is required.
A minimum contact time of sodium hypochlorite with liquid waste is 20 minutes. After 20
minutes of contact, disinfected liquid waste is poured into the sanitary sewer.
Bleach should be stored between 50 and 75°F. Undiluted household bleach has a shelf life of six
months to one year from the date of manufacture, after which bleach degrades at a rate of 20%
each year until totally degraded to salt and water (exposure to sunlight or additional heat
increases the degradation rate substantially).
Any dilution of bleach has a shelf life of 5 days.
9.5.3 Autoclave Standards
All steam sterilizers must:
Use the biological indicator Bacillus stearothermophillus placed at the center of a load
processed under standard operating conditions to confirm the attainment of adequate
sterilization conditions. Indicator organisms must be used monthly at a generator facility in each
steam sterilizer;
Record the temperature and time during each complete cycle to ensure the attainment of a
temperature of 121 degrees Centigrade (250 degrees Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes or longer (refer
to Appendix I of the Biosafety Manual for large quantities) at fifteen (15) pounds pressure,
depending on quantity and density of the load, in order to achieve sterilization of the entire
load; (Thermometers shall be checked for calibration at least annually.)
Have a gauge that indicates the pressure of each cycle.
Use heat sensitive tape that is lead-free or other device for each container that is processed to
indicate that the steam sterilization temperature has been reached. The waste will not be
considered appropriately treated if the indicator fails.
Maintain records of the procedures specified in (b) above for a period of not less than three (3)
years.
Assure that treatment residues are disposed of in accordance with applicable State and Federal
Requirements.
9.5.4 Logging
All wastes that meet the definition of biohazardous waste and are treated chemically or by steam
sterilization must be logged before disposal. The date and amount of waste treated and disposed must
be included. A monthly log must be sent to the EHS at the beginning of each month for the previous
month. A template of the log can be obtained by contacting EHS