**1. Introduction**

Hazardous wastes can be defined as materials and equipment generated due to either natural or various anthropogenic activities and spiked with hazard ingredients, which there is no further use as well. Therefore, hazardous wastes are materials, direct disposal of which can pose threats to man and his environment. They can be explosive, flammable, oxidizing, poisonous/infectious, radioactive, corrosive and/or toxic [1].

According to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) [40C.F.R. 261.31-33], a hazardous waste can be defined as a spiked material that poses a substantial threat to human health and/or his environment when segregated, sorted, handled, treated, stored, transported and disposed of under improper as well as uncontrolled conditions. Moreover, as spiked material, it has the capability to cause or can contribute to elevate mortality or a rise in epidemic and dangerous illness.

Hazardous waste generation and accumulation are the most acute brain teaser within the last two centuries, opposing world attention and priority for decisionmaking. Since the industrial revolution started, the hazardous wastes problem caused great and broaden damage to man's Ecosystems, therefore, it becomes an issue of serious not only for national but also for international concern [2].

Department of Environment and Energy, Australian Government, prescribed hazardous waste as which has any of the following characteristics: explosive; flammable liquids/solids; poisonous, toxic, ecotoxic; infectious substances, clinical wastes; waste oils/water, hydrocarbons/water mixtures, emulsions; wastes from the production, formulation and use of resins, latex, plasticizers, glues/adhesives; wastes resulting from surface treatment of metals and plastics; residues arising from industrial waste disposal operations; wastes which contain certain compounds such as copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead and other heavy metals and asbestos; household waste; or residues arising from the incineration of household waste [3].

However, the US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) summarized that into four characteristics [4]:


Hazardous waste-generating facilities can be differentiated into categories in accordance with the monthly amount of hazardous waste delivered. There are three categories, viz. large-quantity generators (LQGs), small-quantity generators (SQGs) and conditionally exempt small-quantity generators (CESQGs). To be nominated as a LQG, facility should throw more than 1000 kg of hazardous waste per month. Small-quantity generators generate between 100 and 1000 kg per month, while the third category, namely, CESQG facility, delivered less than 100 kg of hazardous waste each month [5, 6].

The nomination of the most famous categorization and the classification of hazardous waste are those based on the source that generates this waste and which can be distinguished from industrial waste, arisen from various industrial facilities; radioactive wastes generated due to the applications of radioisotopes in different fields of our life; medical, and pharmaceutical wastes, that are collected from health care facilities (HCFs), and so on ….

Healthcare waste (HCW) can be defined as the total wastes which are generated from a healthcare facility and would comprise non-hazardous or general waste and hazardous HCW. Besides, it includes the identical types of waste arisen from minor and scattered sources; the non-hazardous HCW is nominated as waste that does not pose any particular biological, chemical, radioactive or physical threats to man or to the environment. This group of waste con is managing following the municipal waste management hierarchy. The hazardous health care wastes (HHCWs) are considered the most crucial part of waste generated from the healthcare facilities due to their dangerous impacts on human and his ecosystems.

The main generators of healthcare waste are hospitals and other health facilities; limited medical centres; clinical centres, laboratories and research centres; mortuary and autopsy centres; animal research and testing laboratories; blood banks and collection services; laboratories for medical analysis; and nursing homes for the elderly [7].

Between 75 and 90% of the wastes generated by healthcare facilities that mainly resemble domestic wastes, therefore, are denoted as "non-hazardous" or "general healthcare wastes." They are collected mostly from the administrative, kitchen and housekeeping functions at healthcare facilities and may also include unspiked packaging waste and waste generated during maintenance of healthcare facilities. The remaining 10–25% of HCW are considered as "hazardous healthcare wastes" and can pose extensive environmental and health threats [8].

It is worth to state that pharmaceutical waste is not onefold category of waste but many and variable; moreover the chemicals that constitute pharmaceutical dosage forms are complex and variable. Healthcare wastes comprise sharps; non-sharps; disposable syringes and plastic equipment; blood, body tissue and parts, patient's excretions, chemicals and pharmaceuticals; chemotherapy ingredients; medical devices; and empty solution bags, bottles and containers, in addition to radioactive materials. The hazardous HCW can be classified into the following waste main groups:

#### **2. Infectious waste**

This group of wastes is assumed to contain pathogens (or their toxins) in a concentration that can be disease sources to a host. This group includes discarded materials or equipment, used for the diagnosis, and treatment of disease that has been in contact with body fluids, e.g. dressings, swabs, nappies, blood bags, etc., in addition to liquid waste comprising faeces, urine, blood, sputum or lung secretions.

**5**

*Introductory Chapter: Hazardous Wastes DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.88600*

denoted in most cases as potential infectious wastes.

**5. Hazardous pharmaceutical waste**

Anatomical waste is a pathological category of hazardous HCW and includes body organs and tissues. Whether they can be infected or not, anatomical wastes are

The most commonly used radioisotopes in healthcare facilities (HCFs) are technetium mTc-99 and gadolinium Ga-68 in therapeutic generators and cobalt Co-60, iodine I-131 and iridium Ir-192 for diagnosis and treatment. Low-level radioactive wastes are mainly the waste category generated in HCFs due to the applications of

Hazardous pharmaceutical wastes are a part of HCW generated not only in hospitals and medical centres but also in pharmacy. They comprise contaminated, spilt, unused and expired pharmaceutical products, as well as drugs and vaccines, and in addition discarded items used in the handling such as bottles, vials and con-

An important item of this category is all the drugs and equipment used for the mixing and administration of cytotoxic drugs. Cytotoxic drugs are used in chemo-

Sharps are considered the most dangerous and highly infectious wastes generated at HCFs. They include needles, some surgical tools, syringes, disposable scalpels, blades, etc. Those items can result in cuts and punctured wounds; therefore, they should be collected, packed and handled in an extremely safe, controlled and proper method in the generation points to ensure the safety of the working staff.

Body fluids of patients, with highly infectious diseases, microbial cultures and highly infectious stocks constitute what is named as the highly infectious wastes in the HCW scheme and are generated, mainly, from medical analysis and research

This group of waste is accumulated from drugs generally used in oncology or radiotherapy units. It has high hazardous mutagenic and/or cytotoxic impacts. Excretions of cytotoxic drug- or chemically treated patients, i.e., faeces, vomit or urine, must be included as genotoxic waste. In specialized cancer treatment facilities, the controlled and proper treatment and safe disposal should be followed

strictly to avoid contamination of the surrounding environment.

**3. Anatomical waste**

**4. Radioactive waste**

radioisotopes.

nect tubing.

**6. Sharps**

therapy treatment for cancer.

**7. Highly infectious waste**

**8. Genotoxic/cytotoxic waste**

laboratory activities.
