Table 1.
Classification of different types of medical waste.
| Type | Waste | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Type I | Tissue | Human or animal pathological wastes - blood, tissues, organs, pus, and body parts and fluids that are discharged during autopsy or surgery |
| Type II | Radioactive waste | Radioactive elements - unused liquids from radiotherapy or laboratory research work |
| Type III | Wastes with high content of heavy metals | Broken thermometers, blood-pressure gauges. batteries |
| Type IV | Pressurized containers | Gas cylinders, aerosol containers |
| Type V | Absorbent cotton items | Cotton pads, bandages, disposable diapers or bedding that are stained or soaked with human or animal blood, pus, discharge or secretion |
| Type VI | Discarded medical plastics | Disposable syringe, blood bags or waste generated from blood dialysis |
| Type VII | Pathological waste | Culture and stocks of infectious agents from test, culture dishes, discarded blood fluids and containers along with items that were in contact with infectious agents - used slides and cover glass |
| Type VIII | Waste sharps | Discarded sharps, hypodermic needles, syringes, surgical blades and blood lancets |
| Type IX | Waste mixed with infectious waste | Wastes that are not classified into the above mentioned categories but mixed with waste types (I) to (V) |