Bacterial emissions from incineration of hospital waste. Final report
This research examined the emissions from a hospital incinerator to determine if human pathogenic bacteria were being released into community air. Incineration of the hospital waste resulted in stack gas with excessively high particulate matter and hydrochloric acid which made sampling impossible. Incineration of a substitute waste consisting of paper products, water, and cultures of Bacillus subtilis (a spore producing bacteria) resulted in no viable Bacillus subtilis in the stack-gas samples. Eight bacteria species other than Bacillus subtilis were found in stack gas samples. The indoor air was similar to the stack gas in bacteria number and species composition. It was concluded that these bacteria were able to pass through the incinerator via excess air entering the secondary combustion chamber. One human pathogen (Staphylococcus aureus) was found in the indoor air samples and elevated levels of bacteria were found in hospital hallways adjacent to the incinerator where waste handling occurred.
- Research Organization:
- Illinois Univ., Chicago (USA). School of Public Health
- OSTI ID:
- 6741518
- Report Number(s):
- PB-88-240494/XAB
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
PATHOGENESIS
HOSPITALS
WASTE DISPOSAL
INCINERATORS
BACILLUS SUBTILIS
BACTERIA
PROGRESS REPORT
BACILLUS
BUILDINGS
DOCUMENT TYPES
MANAGEMENT
MEDICAL ESTABLISHMENTS
MICROORGANISMS
POLLUTION
WASTE MANAGEMENT
500200* - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
552000 - Public Health
550900 - Pathology