Hospital waste management is an important process that must be dealt with diligently. The management of hazardous waste material requires specific knowledge and regulations and it must be carried out by specialists in the field. In this cross-sectional study, we assessed the main stages of hospital waste management including separation, containment, removal and disposal of waste materials in public hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS). We selected 108 units of six hospitals (three general hospitals and three subspecialty hospitals) from those hospitals supervised by TUMS using the cluster sampling method. The measurement was conducted through a questionnaire and direct observation by researchers. Association analysis was done by statistical tests; Fisher exact test and chi-squared using SPSS software. According to the results obtained by the questionnaire, most of the studied wards scored moderately in terms of quality of their performance in all stages of waste management. About one-fifth of the wards were suffering from poor management of their medical waste and only a minority of wards obtained good scores for managing their waste materials. The findings also revealed significant associations between temporary waste storage and collection and the level of education of the managers (P = 0.040, P = 0.050, respectively). In summary, the study indicated a moderate management in all processes of separation, collection, containment, removal and disposal of waste materials in hospitals with several observed problems in the process.

The municipal waste management has always been one of the most challenging environmental concerns. Today, although different strategies have been developed, sanitary disposal of municipal waste is still considered as one of the most widely used alternatives, especially in developing countries such as Iran. To investigate the land capability of Pishva, for landfill sitting, the important criteria were categorized in two groups of ecological and socioeconomic and then a multi-criteria decision-making model was used with decision-making trial and evaluation decision-making trial and evaluation (DEMATEL)-analytical network process (ANP) approach. First and foremost, the interaction of criteria was determined implementing DEMATEL. It was found that the soil depth criterion not only is the most effective but also is the most influenced one. Moreover, ANP structure was developed to weigh the criteria. In comparison to socioeconomic criteria, ecological ones play a more significant role. Afterwards, factor maps and constraints were standardized using fuzzy and Boolean logic, respectively, and all layers were combined to generate the final capability map of Pishva applying WLC method. The capability map showed that 71% of the area is not capable of landfilling, and only 5% of Pishva has a high capability. The results proved the great effectiveness of the methods proposed in this study.

No abstract

No abstract

In this study, the process of producing compost from rural separated solid wastes using aerated static piles (ASP) and vermicomposting was investigated which was carried out from September 2015 to January 2016. A combination of waste ingredients, conditions, processing duration, analysis of key parameters (moisture, pH, temperature and C/N ratio) governing the process, the quality of the final product and economic assessment was considered. Six piles were created in the ASP method, and six piles were loaded in vermicomposting pits in which the Eisenia foetida species was used. Three piles in each method (odd piles) contained 100% putrescible wastes, while the rest of three piles (even piles) contained 75% putrescible wastes and 25% cow dung. The total coliform reductions in both kinds of waste compositions were observed. Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and nickel were not found in any of the piles. Comprehensive statistical analysis, including the comparison of the variables, correlation among variables and analysis of variance, was performed for the measured parameters. Comparing the final product with standards showed that composting proceeded satisfactorily in both methods.