Household Chemical Waste (HCW): Relative Advantages and Disadvantages of Treatment Methods

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Household chemical wastes (HCW) can be very dangerous if not treated properly. There are many treatment methods for household chemical waste disposal available. Each one of them has both some advantages and disadvantages. The relative advantages and disadvantages of different available household chemical waste disposal treatment methods are shown in below table.

Household Chemical Waste Disposal Treatment Method

                Advantages

Disadvantages
Rotary kiln
  • Adequate for all infectious waste, most chemical waste and pharmaceutical waste.
  • High investment and operating cost.
Pyrolytic Incineration
  • Very high disinfection efficiency.
  • Adequate for all infectious waste and most pharmaceutical and chemical waste.
  • Incomplete destruction of cytotoxics.
  • Relatively high investment and operating costs.
Single-chamber incineration
  • Good disinfection efficiency.
  • Drastic reduction of weight and volume of waste. The residues may be disposed of in landfills.
  • No need for highly trained operators.
  • Relatively low investment and operating cost.
  • Significant emissions of atmospheric pollutants. Need for periodic removal of slag and soot inefficiency in  destroying thermally resistant chemicals and drugs such as cytotoxics.

 
Drum or brick incinerator
  • Drastic reduction of weight and volume of the waste. Very low investment and operating cost.
  • Destroys only 99% of micro organisms.
  • No destruction of many chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
  • Massive emission of black smoke, fly-ash, toxic flue gas, and odours.
Chemicals disinfection
  • Highly efficient disinfectants under good operating condition.
  • Some   Chemicals disinfection are relatively inexpensive.
  • Drastic reduction in waste volume.
  • Requires highly qualified technicians for operating of the process.
  • Used hazardous substances that require comprehensive safety measures.
  • Inadequate for  pharmaceuticals, chemical, and some types of infectious waste.
Wet thermal treatment
  • Environmentally sound .
  • Drastic reduction in waste volume.
  • Relatively low investment and operating costs.
  • Shredders are subject to frequent breakdown and poor functioning.
  • Operation requires qualified technicians, pharmaceuticals, and chemical waste, and that is not readily steam-permeable.
Microwave radiation
  • Good disinfection efficiency under appropriate operating conditions.
  • Drastic reduction in waste volume.
  • Environmentally sound.
  • Relatively high investment and operating costs. Potential operation and maintenance problems.
Encapsulation
  • Simple, low-cost, and safe.
  • May also be applied to pharmaceuticals.
  • Not recommended for non-sharp infectious waste.
Safe burying
  • Low costs.
  • Relatively safe if access to site is restricted and where natural infiltration is limited.
  • Safe only if access to site is limited and certain precautions are taken.
Inertisation
  • Relatively inexpensive.
  • Not applicable to infectious waste.

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