Maarg Manthan · Topic 14.7

Biomedical Waste: Hazards and the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016

Environment & Ecology › Waste Management · Topic 14.7

Biomedical waste is any waste generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of humans or animals, or in related research, including used syringes and needles, bandages, tissues and body parts, blood-soaked material, cultures, expired medicines and chemicals. A part of it is infectious and sharp, and can spread hepatitis B and C, HIV, tetanus and other infections through needle-stick injuries and contact. Other hazards are toxic chemicals, cytotoxic drugs, radioactive material and mercury from broken thermometers. The Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 replaced the 1998 rules and apply to every person who generates, collects, stores, transports or treats such waste, including hospitals, clinics, blood banks, veterinary institutions, labs, ayush centres, vaccination camps and homes where care is given. They require segregation at source in colour-coded bags and containers: yellow for anatomical, soiled, expired medicine and chemical waste; red for contaminated recyclable plastics; white translucent puncture-proof containers for sharps; and blue for glassware and metallic implants. Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facilities serve small facilities, and incineration of chlorinated plastic bags is being phased out.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Waste Management

At a Glance

Rules Bio-Medical Waste Rules, 2016
Replaced 1998 rules
Yellow bag Anatomical, soiled
White container Sharps
Treatment hubs CBWTFs
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Waste Management

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the e-waste rules and covers another special waste, which is infectious. It leads to the rules on hazardous waste and sewage treatment. Previous topic: E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016. Next topic: Hazardous Waste: Characteristics and the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Trans-Boundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

How Is Biomedical Waste Segregated Under the 2016 Rules?

Colour and container	Waste category and treatment
Yellow bag	Human and animal anatomical waste, soiled waste, expired or discarded medicines, chemical waste and microbiology waste; incineration, plasma pyrolysis or deep burial
Red bag	Contaminated recyclable waste such as tubing, bottles, catheters, syringes without needles; autoclaving or microwaving then recycling
White translucent puncture-proof container	Waste sharps including needles, scalpels and blades; autoclaving or dry heat then shredding or encapsulation
Blue container	Glassware, metallic body implants; disinfection and recycling
Chlorinated plastic bags	Banned for collection of biomedical waste, with phase-out
Barcode system	For tracking of waste bags from generator to disposal
Record and report	Annual reports and registers by generators and treatment facilities

What Are the Hazards and Arrangements?

Infections: needle-stick injuries can spread HIV, hepatitis B and C
Toxic chemicals: cytotoxic drugs, solvents, mercury
Radioactive waste: from nuclear medicine
Environmental harm: open dumping and burning produce dioxins and spread infection
Reuse of syringes: illegal recycling of used syringes is a public health risk
CBWTF: Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility; collects from many small facilities and treats centrally, generally within a radius of 75 km
Healthcare workers: must be immunised and trained
COVID-19: CPCB issued guidelines on handling masks, PPE and sample waste

What Else Should You Remember?

Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998: the earlier rules
2016 changes: wider coverage, colour codes, pre-treatment of lab waste, phasing out chlorinated bags and gloves, barcode, and stricter emission norms for incinerators
2018 amendment: required phase-out of chlorinated plastic bags and gloves by 2019 and barcoding of bags
Pre-treatment: microbiology and lab waste must be disinfected at the source before disposal
Deep burial: allowed in rural or remote areas in a pit with safeguards
Autoclaving: steam sterilisation under pressure
Microwaving: disinfection using microwaves
Shredding: used after disinfection to make waste unrecognisable
Incineration: a major method for yellow waste, with emission standards for dioxins and furans
Plasma pyrolysis: very high temperature treatment for yellow category waste
Occupier: the person in charge of a health facility, responsible for the waste
Operator: the person who runs a CBWTF
Authorisation: generators need authorisation from state pollution control boards
Training: health workers must be trained and immunised against hepatitis B and tetanus
Public health: well-managed waste protects patients, staff, waste pickers and communities
Home care: used diapers and dressings from home care are domestic waste but should be wrapped
Waste quantity: CPCB reports show hundreds of tonnes per day of biomedical waste, rising during the pandemic
COVID-19 waste: separate yellow-coded bags and containers were advised for used PPE and masks
CPCB monitoring: app to track COVID-19 waste
Pharmaceutical waste: expired drugs have specific disposal rules
Link to previous: see E-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016
Link to next: see Hazardous Waste: Characteristics and the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Trans-Boundary Movement) Rules, 2016
Link to waste types: see Types of Solid Waste and Issues in Solid Waste Management in India
Caution: colour codes and amendments change, so check the latest CPCB guidelines
Exam hint: learn the four colours with the waste in each and the 2016 and 2018 changes
Colour-coded bins: hospitals use colour-coded bins and bags at every point of waste generation, with signage to help staff
Waste handlers: cleaners and ragpickers need gloves, boots, masks and vaccines
Mercury devices: mercury thermometers and blood pressure meters are being replaced with digital ones
Records: hospitals keep registers of the waste generated, treated and sent out
Penalty: violators face action under the Environment Protection Act, and courts have fined hospitals
Health camps: blood donation and vaccination camps must also segregate waste

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Yellow: Anatomical, soiled
Red: Recyclable plastics
White: Sharps
Current affairs link: COVID-19 waste
Common errors: putting sharps in the red bag

As an analytical point, biomedical waste is a small share of waste by weight but a large share of infection risk. Safe segregation at the bedside and tracked transport to treatment are more important than any treatment technology.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Risk Infection
Control Colour code
Hub CBWTF

What Came Next?

The next topic covers hazardous waste and the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016. Next topic: Hazardous Waste: Characteristics and the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Trans-Boundary Movement) Rules, 2016.

Key People and Terms

BMW Biomedical waste
CBWTF Common treatment facility
Sharps Needles and blades
Autoclave Steam sterilizer
Occupier Facility head
Cytotoxic Cell-killing drug

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Rules replaced 1998 rules in 2016.
Yellow: anatomical and soiled.
White: sharps.
Blue: glass and implants.
CBWTF radius: 75 km.

Do Not Confuse With

Red and yellow bags Recyclable plastics versus soiled and anatomical waste
White and blue containers Sharps versus glass and implants
Autoclave and incinerator Steam sterilisation versus burning

Memory Hook

Yellow is soiled, red recycles, white keeps the sharps, blue holds glass.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for colours and hazards. These points help.

Hazards Infection, toxics
Rules Colour code
Gaps Segregation

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Explain the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 and the colour-coding system.”

How to Answer

Hazards Infection.
Rules 2016.
Colours Four.
Gaps Training.

GS Relevance

Prelims: colour codes, rules, hazards. GS Paper 3: biomedical waste management.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is biomedical waste?

Biomedical waste is waste generated in diagnosis, treatment, immunisation or research involving humans or animals, such as used needles and syringes, dressings, tissue and body parts, blood-soaked material, cultures and expired medicines. Part of it is infectious or sharp and can cause diseases such as hepatitis B and C and HIV if handled carelessly.

What are the colour codes for biomedical waste?

Under the 2016 rules, yellow bags are for anatomical, soiled, expired medicine and chemical waste; red bags for contaminated recyclable plastics; white translucent puncture-proof containers for sharps; and blue containers for glass items and metallic implants. Each is treated by a different method, such as incineration, autoclaving or shredding.

What is a Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility?

A Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility is a centralised plant that collects biomedical waste from many small hospitals and clinics, treats it by methods such as incineration, autoclaving and shredding, and disposes of residues safely. It saves small facilities from setting up their own plants and is usually required to serve healthcare facilities within a radius of about 75 kilometres.

What are the main hazards of biomedical waste?

The main hazards are infection from needle-stick injuries and contact with contaminated material, spread of diseases such as hepatitis B and C and HIV, exposure to toxic chemicals, cytotoxic drugs, radioactive material and mercury, and release of dioxins and furans from poor incineration. Illegal reuse of syringes is another serious risk.

What changed in the 2016 biomedical waste rules?

The 2016 rules replaced the 1998 rules with wider coverage, including vaccination camps and veterinary and ayush institutions, simpler colour codes, pre-treatment of lab and microbiological waste at source, stricter incinerator emission standards, a plan to phase out chlorinated plastic bags and gloves, and barcoding of waste bags for tracking.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Sharps are placed in white puncture-proof containers.

True

Under the 2016 rules.

2 The BMW Rules of 2016 replaced the 2008 rules.

False

They replaced the 1998 rules.

3 CBWTFs treat waste from many small facilities.