India generates 742 tonnes of biomedical waste daily. This includes blood, sputum, body parts, bandages, swabs, etc. The management of this waste is a major challenge that the hospitals in the country faces.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board, while some of it is incinerated in special facilities, about 200 tonnes of hazardous bio waste remains untreated. This can be extremely dangerous because such untreated waste can cause development or evolution of microbes that are resistant to antibiotics, which poses a huge risk to all humanity.
Unique Technology for Treatment of Bio Waste Developed
The scientists at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR-NIIST) in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala have developed a technology that treats biomedical waste using chemicals and converts it into manure.
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who is a medical physician said, “It is truly a ‘waste-to-wealth’ endeavour”. He said, “India’s new eco-friendly technology for biomedical waste disposal is set to transform healthcare waste disposal,” as he launched the Revolutionary Biomedical Waste Conversion Rig, now named ‘Srjanam’, at AIIMS.
The first prototype of Srjanam has been installed at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi, where it will be validated by in-house scientists. Shaped like capsicum, this chemical reactor has a potential to transform how biomedical waste is treated in India.
Srjanam – The Chemical Reactor
The scientists are saying that Srjanam offers a cost-effective and greener alternative to existing technologies for biomedical waste disposal, including incineration.
This is a fully automated system that disinfects and nullifies all hazardous biomedical wastes, like blood, urine, and sputum, as well as laboratory disposables, without the use of costly and energy-intensive incinerators. This makes the disposal of bio waste easy and economical.
Not only does this technology treats the bio waste, but it also does it while emitting a pleasant fragrance to otherwise foul-smelling toxic waste, making its handling and disposal safer and more manageable.
This 400kg-per-day capacity waste system can currently accommodate up to 10kg per day of biodegradable medical waste. It can convert hazardous biomedical waste into a benign, soil-like powder in less than half-an-hour.
The technology was successfully validated for its antimicrobial and non-toxic nature, and is expected to be ready for implementation soon, pending go-ahead from the concerned authorities.
Srjanam Provides Low-Cost and Safe Management of Bio Waste
Dr Singh, the Minister for Science and Technology, emphasised the role of innovation in addressing environmental issues. “This development marks a key milestone towards sustainable waste management in healthcare. ‘Srjanam’ promises a low-cost solution that is scalable and could be adopted by healthcare institutions across the country.”
“This technology provides the potential for a safe, efficient solution to biomedical waste management,” said Dr C Anandharamakrishnan, Director of CSIR-NIIST, said. “Safe and efficient management reduces the risk to healthcare workers and the chances of spreading infectious diseases.”
Dr (Prof) M. Srinivas, Director of the AIIMS in Delhi said, “It speaks volumes about the scientific collaborative strength in addressing the problem of biomedical waste disposal. It also shows the commitment of AIIMS, New Delhi in adopting things that are beneficial for both healthcare and the environment.”
The technology has been third-party validated for its antimicrobial action, and studies have shown that the treated material is safer than organic fertilisers like vermi-compost.
Now scientists at the hospital infection control unit of AIIMS in Delhi will test and validate this new technology, and only then can it get accepted and adopted across the country.
