Application of life cycle assessment for hospital solid waste management: A case study

Ali, M., Wang, W. and Chaudhry, N. (2016) Application of life cycle assessment for hospital solid waste management: A case study. Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, 66 (10). pp. 1012-1018. ISSN 1096-2247

[thumbnail of This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association on 07/06/2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10962247.2016.1196263] Text (This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association on 07/06/2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/10962247.2016.1196263)
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Abstract

This study was meant to determine environmental aspects of hospital waste management scenarios using life cycle analysis approach. Survey for this study was conducted at the largest hospital in a major city of Pakistan. The hospital was thoroughly analyzed from November, 2014 to January, 2015 to quantify its wastes by category. The functional unit of the study was selected as one tonne of disposable solid hospital waste. System boundaries included transportation of hospital solid waste and its treatment and disposal by landfilling, incineration, composting and material recycling methods. These methods were evaluated based on their greenhouse gas emissions. Landfilling and incineration turned out to be the worst final disposal alternatives whereas composting and material recovery displayed savings in emissions. An integrated system (composting, incineration and material recycling) was found as the best solution among the evaluated scenarios. This study can be used by policymakers for the formulation of an integrated hospital waste management plan.

Publication Type: Articles
Uncontrolled Keywords: Hospital waste; hazardous waste; greenhouse gas emissions; pollution; public health.
Subjects: G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
Divisions: Academic Areas > Business School
Depositing User: Ali Ali
Date Deposited: 08 Mar 2019 16:31
Last Modified: 08 Mar 2019 16:31
URI: https://eprints.chi.ac.uk/id/eprint/3854

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