OBJECTIVE: This paper evaluated the personnel of three public and three private hospitals in the Metro Manila area in terms of their knowledge of the (1) Hospital Waste Committee at their hospital and (2) the general guidelines of segregation and handling of hospital wastes.

METHODS: Convenience sampling was used. Nurses, medical technologists, and janitorial staff present at three private and three public tertiary hospitals in south Manila during respective data collection visits were given a self-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS: The majority of those included in the study had correct knowledge regarding the Waste Management Committee of their particular hospital but did not have enough knowledge regarding general waste management, particularly sharps waste management. The medical technologists and nurses in both private and public hospitals had about the same knowledge and awareness regarding hospital policies and sharps waste management; however, there were differences between the knowledge and awareness of private and government hospital janitorial staff. Two of the perceived problems in waste management of the hospitals were (1) the general lack of knowledge regarding waste management, specifically sharps waste and (2)the lack of hospital support in terms of provision of proper waste disposals.

CONCLUSION: Workers involved in sharps waste management-in tertiary hospitals had enough knowledge regarding the Waste Management Committee, but the respondents did not have enough knowledge regarding waste management in general and sharps waste management in particular. Problems perceived by respondents are: lack of knowledge regarding waste management and lack of hospital support.

Human ; Male ; Female ; .tertiary Care Centers ; Medical Laboratory Personnel ; Waste Management ; Hospitals, Private ; Refuse Disposal ; Hospitals, Public ; Surveys And Questionnaires ; Government

Composting is the transformation of organic waste through decomposition by microbacteria into soil-like material. Organic waste used in composting is from agricultural waste like vegetables from farms, markets, restaurants, hotels, processing plants. There are two techniques of composting: (1) composting of waste pile with air supply system, (2) natural composting with air supplied by tossing the pile. Composting is used widely in other countries to manage waste. Composting not only results in a soil-like material as a good fertilizer but also it reduces a consiferable amount of waste.
Waste Products ; Waste Management ; Soil

A cross-sectional survey on the management of the waste performed in 6 provincial hospital Yen Bai, Phu Tho, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Can Tho, Dong Thap showed that: Total quantity of solid wastes: 0.6-1.27kg/bed/day in which clinical wastes 18.2-18.9%, chemical wast 0.3-0.5%; the collection and classification of solid waste did not followed fully the regulation issued by the MOH, there were 3 standard ovens to burn clinical waste, but only 2 was used. In all 6 hospitals the standard knowledge of treatment of liquid and gaz wastes was not completed fully. The difficulties in the management of hospital wastes are shortage of the staff with necessary hnowledge, lack of equipment and materials, financial deficiency.
Hospitals ; Waste Management ; Waste Products

The results of the interview of 203 staffs in 6 hospitals – 3 hospitals with treatment of wastes (Phu Tho, Quang Ngai, Dong Thap), 3 hospital without treatment of wastes (Yen Bai, Quang Nam, Can Tho) about knowledge on hospital wastes and hospital waste management injury rate caused by sharp wastes among the interviewed staffs show: Medical staffs in both two groups have poor understanding about the impacts of hospital wastes, and hospital waste management (classification, collection, transport and treatment wastes). The injuries rate in the staffs that interviewed is 20.0%, and there is no significant difference beteen two groups.
Hospitals ; Waste Management ; Waste Products ;

Aims: Researchers are focusing more on the isolation of new probiotic bacteria to increase varieties for the growing market demand. This study aimed to isolate lactic acid bacteria (LAB) strains from sugarcane waste materials and evaluate its characteristic. Methodology and results: In the present study, two strains of LAB (Isolates A and B) were isolated from sugarcane waste and investigated in vitro for their characteristics as potential probiotics. These isolates were evaluated on their characteristics based on four biochemical tests (acid tolerance, bile tolerance, microbial adhesion, and phenol resistance), with the commercial strain Lactobacillus isolated from Yakult ® served as a positive control. Both isolated strains (>8 log10 CFU/mL) displayed higher survivability than control (>6 log10 CFU/mL) in simulated gastrointestinal conditions at pH 2.0 and pH 6.9 after 24 h. Furthermore, both isolated LABs were resistant to inhibitory substances which are 0.05-0.3% bile and 0.4% phenol. For bile tolerance, isolate A (OD 6.83) had a higher absorbance at 0.3% bile concentration as compared to isolate B (OD 2.20). However, isolate B (7.49 log10 CFU/mL) showed higher resistance towards 0.4% phenol than isolate A (7.11 log10 CFU/mL) after 24 h. Both isolate A and isolate B displayed low cell surface hydrophobicity, strong electron donor, and basic characteristic. Conclusion, significance and impact of study Both isolates were able to survive under gastrointestinal stress conditions, implying their potential as probiotics. This study demonstrated that valuable products such as probiotic strain could be isolated from sugarcane wastes to use in food production or medical treatment.
Lactobacillales ; Waste Management

In this cross-sectional study, data of collecting, classification, and managing solid waste was collected. 32 health staffs of General Hospital in Phu Tho province were interviewed. Results: total amount of medical solid waste was 132.71 kg a day. The process of collecting, storing, transporting and resolving solid waste is not suitable with the Health Ministry's rules. Medical officer's awareness about the managing of medical solid waste is still very limited
Medical Staff ; Medical Waste ; Waste Management ; hospitals

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine if the collection, treatment and final disposal of hospital hazardous wastes conform to the rules and regulations and standards set by the Philippine Government and the World Health Organization (WHO).
METHODS: Three private and three government tertiary hospitals located in South Manila were randomly chosen and the companies that provides them with hospital waste disposal services were asked to participate in the study to validate their conformity to the national and international hazardous waste disposal standards. Validation was done through the use of observer checklists and photographs.
RESULTS: Results of the study showed that there were four companies who services 6 selected hospitals included in the study. All of these conformed to the standards of the World Health Organization, and to rules and regulations as set by the Philippine government. All of the companies conformed as to standards for Legal Permits, Off-site Transport, Personal Protective Devices and Off-Site Waste Disposal.
CONCLUSION: All of the companies servicing the 6 selected hospitals conformed to the standards set by WHO and the Philippine government.

Checklist ; Government ; Hazardous Waste ; Philippines ; Protective Devices ; Refuse Disposal ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Waste Disposal Facilities

Environmental Monitoring ; Groundwater ; Refuse Disposal ; Soil ; Waste Disposal Facilities ; Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis*

Inactivation and microbial regrowth of penicillin-, ampicillin-, cefalexin-, tetracycline-, chloramphenicol-, and rifampicin-resistant bacteria were studied to explore risks associated with selection and regrowth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria after PAA disinfection. The results showed that after exposure to 20 mg/L PAA for 10 min, inactivation of ampicillin-resistant bacteria reached 2.3-log, which was significantly higher than that of total heterotrophic bacteria with a decrease of 2.0-log. In contrast, inactivation of tetracycline- resistant bacteria was significantly less efficient, reaching only 1.1-log. Chloramphenicol-and tetracycline-resistant bacteria, as well as total heterotrophic bacteria regrew more than 10 fold compared to those in the untreated wastewater sample with 22 h stilling culture after exposure to 2 or 5 mg/L PAA as for 10 min. Selection and potential regrowth of tetracycline-and chloramphenicol-resistant bacteria are potential risks when utilizing PAA disinfection, which may induce the spread of specific antibiotic-resistant bacteria in reclaimed water.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; Bacteria ; drug effects ; Disinfection ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; Waste Water ; Water Microbiology ; Water Purification

The performance of the Dongying multi-stage ponds-wetlands ecosystem was investigated in this work. Study of the removal of different pollutants (BOD(5), COD, SS, TP, TN, NH(3)-N, etc.) in different temperature seasons and different units in this system indicated that effluent BOD(5) and SS were constant to less than 11 mg/L and 14 mg/L throughout the experimental processes; but that the removal efficiencies of pollutants such as TP, TN, NH(3)-N, COD varied greatly with season. The higher the temperature was, the higher was the observed removal in this system. Additionally, each unit of the system functioned differently in removing pollutants. BOD(5) and SS were mainly removed in the first three units (hybrid facultative ponds, aeration ponds and aerated fish ponds), whereas nitrogen and phosphates were mainly removed in hydrophyte ponds and constructed reed wetlands. The multi-stage ponds-wetlands ecosystem exhibits good potential of removing different pollutants, and the effluent quality meet several standards for wastewater reuse.
Ecosystem ; Fresh Water ; chemistry ; Nitrogen ; isolation & purification ; Phosphates ; isolation & purification ; Temperature ; Waste Disposal, Fluid ; Water ; chemistry ; Water Purification ; methods