MEDICAL AND BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE TREATMENT AND DISPOSAL

TYPE OF WASTE

DEFINTION OF WASTE

REQUIRED TREATMENT

MEDICAL WASTE

Human blood or materials of biological origin with known or suspected infectious components.

Waste is placed in red biohazard bag

(Orange bags are illegal in California)

Minimum autoclave temperature of 121°C

(250°F) for 30 minutes at 15 psi

Autoclave tape must be placed on the bag

Autoclave run must be listed on autoclave log

Medical waste must be disposed of within 7 days of being generated if stored above 0°C

LIQUID MEDICAL WASTE

Tissue culture media of human blood or infectious or potentially infectious materials

Decontaminate using 10% bleach solution for a 30-minute contact time

Dispose down the drain with water

SHARPS WASTE

Anything that is contaminated with medical or biohazardous waste and that can pierce skin, e.g., hypodermic needles, syringes, broken pipettes, glass, razor blades, scalpels, etc.

Contact EH&S for pickup and disposal

Contact EH&S if you need sharps containers

787-5518

Sharps containers must be disposed of

when full

BIOHAZARDOUS

Laboratory waste, including, but not limited to:

Waste is placed in red biohazard bag (Orange

bags are illegal in California)

·                   Recombinant DNA, transgenic organisms, plant materials, animal blood, and animal cell lines

Minimum autoclave temperature of 121°C

(250°F) for 30 minutes at 15 psi

·                   Human and animal tissue culture

Autoclave tape must be placed on the bag

·                   Culture dishes or devices used to transfer, inoculate, or mix cultures

Biohazardous waste must be disposed of

within 7 days of being generated if stored above 0°C

LIQUID BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE

• Non-infectious tissue culture

Same as liquid medical waste above