Sustainability and shared smart and mutual--green growth (SSaM-GG) in Korean medical waste management

© The Author(s) 2015.

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA. - 1991. - 33(2015), 5 vom: 15. Mai, Seite 410-8
1. Verfasser: Koo, Ja-Kong (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Jeong, Seung-Ik
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2015
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Waste management & research : the journal of the International Solid Wastes and Public Cleansing Association, ISWA
Schlagworte:Journal Article Incineration SSaM-GG infectious medical waste management life cycle assessment life cycle cost microwave disinfection steam sterilisation sustainable development Medical Waste Steam
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:© The Author(s) 2015.
Since medical insurance was introduced in the Republic of Korea, there have been several increases concerning medical waste. In order to solve these problems, we have applied life cycle assessment and life cycle cost. But these methods cannot be a perfect decision-making tool because they can only evaluate environmental and economic burdens. Thus, as one of many practical methods the shared smart and mutual - green growth considers economic growth, environmental protection, social justice, science technology and art, and mutual voluntarism when applied to medical waste management in the Republic of Korea. Four systems were considered: incineration, incineration with heat recovery, steam sterilisation, and microwave disinfection. This research study aimed to assess pollutant emissions from treatment, transport, and disposal. Global warming potential, photochemical oxidant creation potential, acidifications potential, and human toxicity are considered to be environmental impacts. Total investment cost, transport cost, operation, and maintenance cost for the medical waste are considered in the economy evaluations though life cycle cost. The social development, science technology and art, and mutual voluntarism are analysed through the Delphi-method conducted by expert groups related to medical waste. The result is that incineration with heat recovery is the best solution. However, when heat recovery is impossible, incineration without heat recovery becomes the next best choice. That is why 95% of medical waste is currently treated by both incineration and incineration with heat recovery within the Republic of Korea
Beschreibung:Date Completed 24.02.2016
Date Revised 30.05.2015
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1096-3669
DOI:10.1177/0734242X15574561