Infectious waste is any waste that can cause infections to humans. That is, anything contains or has been in contact with blood or body fluids ,as well as anatomical and pathological waste ("Typical," 2013). The syringes that were washed on the shore in 1987 and 1988 were considered to be medical waste because they were used in medical facilities, and most of them tested positive for the HIV virus. This type of medical waste is considered to be one of the most dangerous wastes. Listed below are some examples of medical waste.
Blood and/or body fluids
bandaids
surgical gloves
saliva from dental procedures
urine
menstrual blood
feces
Anatomical Waste
human tissues
human body parts
organs
Pathological Waste
small tissue sections and small body parts
derived from biopsies
Hazardous Waste
A sharp container use for sharps medical waste disposal
Photo by: AS
Hazardous waste is any waste that is not infectious and cannot transmit any disease to humans ("Sharps and Biohazardous," n.d). However, items in this category can rapture or burn the skin. Such waste items include sharps, needles, syringes, and surgical instruments. There are separate laws for the treatment and storage of hazardous waste.
Radioactive Waste
Photo by: Martin Leggett
Radioactive waste is any waste that has been produced by radiation in cancer therapies, medical nuclear treatments and by medical equipment that was exposed to radioactive isotopes (Hollingsworth, n.d). If any of the infectious and hazardous waste were exposed to radiation, than they have to be treated as a radioactive waste. This type of medical waste is often not properly sorted and therefore it may not always be marked with the appropriate radioactive sign. Laws requires that radioactive waste is also to be stored in special containers and there are unique techniques for the destruction of such a waste.