Massachusetts Medical Waste Disposal
The history of America can be found on the streets of Boston, on its Freedom Trail, in the halls of Quincy Market and on the green paths of the Common, the first public park in the U.S., established in 1634. Four U.S. presidents were born in Norfolk County, Massachusetts (two named Adams) and the city is also home to the first subway system, which began operating in 1897. Boston is also home to leading medical centers and teaching hospitals such as Brigham and Women’s, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Children’s Hospital. Nearby Cambridge boasts the first college in North America, Harvard University, and the town of Springfield is the birthplace of basketball. You care about the environment and Cyntox is experts in handling medical waste disposal in Massachusetts, including laboratory waste disposal and sharps disposal containers.The State of Massachusetts Definition of Medical Waste:
In Massachusetts, infectious medical waste is considered a special solid waste. Infectious or Physically Dangerous Medical or Biological Waste is waste, which because of its characteristics may: cause, or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating reversible illness; or pose a substantial present potential hazard to human health or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of, or otherwise managed.
The following types of waste are identified and defined as infectious or physically dangerous medical or biological waste:
- Blood and Blood Products: Discarded bulk human blood and blood products in free draining, liquid state; body fluids contaminated with visible blood; and materials saturated/dripping with blood;
- Pathological Waste: Human anatomical parts, organs, tissues and body fluids removed and discarded during surgery or autopsy, or other medical procedures and specimens of body fluids and their containers;
- Cultures and Stocks of Infectious Agents and Associated Biologicals: All discarded cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals, biotechnological by-product effluents, cultures of specimens from medical and pathological laboratories, cultures and stocks of infectious agents from research laboratories, wastes from the production of biologicals, and discarded live and attenuated vaccines intended for human use;
- Contaminated Animal Carcasses, Body Parts and Bedding: The contaminated carcasses and body parts and bedding of all research animals known to be exposed to pathogens;
- Sharps: Discarded medical articles that may cause puncture or cuts, including but not limited to all used and discarded hypodermic needles and syringes, pasteur pipettes, broken medical glassware, scalpel blades, disposable razors, and suture needles; and
- Biotechnological By-Product Effluents: Any discarded preparations made from genetically altered living organisms and their products.