POST 00832E : DESTRUCTION OF PLASTIC SYRINGES
Follow-up on Posts 00819E, 00824E and 00830E
8 September 2005
_____________________________________
This posting contains three further contributions on this topic. The first
is from Jonathan Colton (mailto:[email protected]) and the
second from Espen Kateraas (mailto:[email protected]) both from the
United States. The third is from John Lloyd (mailto:[email protected]) from
PATH/France
_____________________________________
Here is more discussion on melting plastic syringes and metal - they can be
melted and then recycled or disposed of safely. It seems a shame to burn
off such a recyclable material as the plastic. We did a pilot study on
melting (http://uqconnect.net/signfiles/Files/syringemelting.pdf) and
(http://uqconnect.net/signfiles/Files/Me ... ch2004.pdf) that
used an oven and a bread baking pan. The process could easily be scaled up,
and other heat sources substituted for the oven. There are also commercial
devices on the market or in development that melt smaller quantities of
syringes.
Prof. Jonathan S. Colton
Georgia Institute of Technology
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering
Atlanta, Georgia, USA
----------------------
Dear Godiskine Attemene,
Thank you for your question related to the use of the BD SoloShot IX
syringe in your upcoming measles campaign in Côte d'Ivoire.
The BD SoloShotâ„¢ IX is a 100% latex free auto-disable syringe manufactured
in accordance to the highest international quality standards. Unlike many
other syringes, the SoloShot IX does not feature a rubber stopper. It
consists of the following components:
* Polypropylene Barrel
* Polyethylene Plunger Rod
* Polypropylene Tip Shield
* Silicone Needle Lubricant
* Epoxy Cannula Adhesive
* High-Grade Stainless Steel Clip
* High-Grade Stainless Steel Cannula
The thermal characteristics of its two major components - polypropylene
(PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) - are available in many
publications. The ignition temperatures for PP and HDPE are above 400°C and
300°C, respectively. In general, higher temperature and more oxygen result
in more complete combustion. Polypropylene and polyethylene release similar
amount of energy under incineration. If incinerated properly, both polymers
turn to water and carbon dioxide and the generated energy ranges from
17,000 to 19,000 BTUs/lb.
References:
1) MSDS of polypropylene
2) MSDS of high-density polyethylene
3) The Council for Solid Waste Solutionsâ„¢ ; "The Solid Waste Management
Problem: No Single Cause, No Problem Solution", ASAE Paper No 924035.
Best regards,
Espen Kateraas,
Sr. Mgr. Worldwide Marketing / Marketing BD Medical - Medical Surgical Systems
Franklin Lakes, NJ USA
------------------------
It may be worth posting that the best guidance on these issues is now
available in a WHO document available for download from the new WHO health
care waste website at:
http://www.healthcarewaste.org/en/documents.html?id=188&suivant=6
The Waste Disposal Unit (WDU) guide includes specific instructions on the
proper construction, utilization and maintenance of optimized DeMontfort
incinerators and the ancillary equipment and features that are needed. The
WDU guide now serves as a WHO standard to improve the construction and
standardize operation of small scale incinerators. It is available in
English and French and includes engineering drawings and training materials
for incinerator operators as well as the guide itself.
An initiative is under way to make kits of parts for WDUs for shipment and
local assembly, manufactured in India. For more information visit the site
http://www.itpi.co.in or contact Terry Hart, IT Power,
(mailto:[email protected]).
All the best,
John
John Lloyd,
Resident Adviser
PATH's Immunization Solutions
Ferney-Voltaire, France
______________________________________________________________________________
_______________
Visit the TECHNET21 Website at http://www.technet21.org
You will find instructions to subscribe, a direct access to archives, links to reference documents and other features.
______________________________________________________________________________
To UNSUBSCRIBE, send a message to : mailto:[email protected]
Leave the subject area BLANK
In the message body, write unsubscribe TECHNET21E
______________________________________________________________________________
The World Health Organization and UNICEF support TechNet21. The TechNet21 e-Forum is a communication/information tool for generation of ideas on how to improve immunization services. It is moderated by Claude Letarte and is hosted in cooperation with the Centre de coopération internationale en santé et développement, Québec, Canada (http://www.ccisd.org)
______________________________________________________________________________
Il n'y a pas encore de réponse à ce message.