Biomedical waste is a type of hazardous waste, and its disposal seems a concerning issue. Disposal of Biomedical waste requires unique methods except landfilling. Medical wastes are divided into two categories, i.e., Infectious waste and Non-infectious waste. Non- infectious waste can be disposed of directly like municipal waste. But infectious waste needs treatment before disposal. Incineration is the oldest way, while autoclave is one of the recent alternatives for biomedical waste treatment. In this blog i will tell you the difference of autoclave and incinerator. For the first starters, let’s know something about these technologies then we will know about the difference of autoclave and incinerator. Tap here to connect with the best biomedical waste consultants!
What Are Incinerators?
Incineration is the burning of waste at a high temperature in the specialized furnace. It converts organic and combustible waste into inorganic, non-combustible matter. But its usage faces many objections due to hazardous gas emissions. In addition, sometimes, due to incomplete combustion of substances like PVCs, it produces carcinogens. For detailed information on this topic, you can go through our blog, namely, find the right technique for the treatment of infectious waste and the 7 types of incinerators you must know.
What Are Autoclaves?
An autoclave is a type of wet thermal sterilization treatment. Waste material is heated at 121°C (minimum) and 1 bar (100kPa) for at least 20 minutes. It only needs to treat exhaust gas and the left water.
For detailed information on this topic, you can go through our blogs, find the right technique for treatment of infectious waste, and autoclave: an effective bargain for biomedical waste treatment.
Now let me tell you about some of the the difference of autoclave and incinerator. Before deciding which option is better one has to check many factors some of the important deciding factors are mentioned below.
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Suitable waste: Autoclave Vs. Incinerator
To decide which of these are best we need to know how many types of waste these can deal with. That’s why in first step in the difference of autoclave and incinerator you should know for what waste this technology is used for. To answer the question below is a comparative summary. Incinerators are widespread and can treat all types of waste. But autoclaves are ideal for many types of waste. Different biomedical waste treatment based on both technologies is compared below:-
Environmental Impact: Autoclave Vs. Incinerator
One of the deciding factors of the difference of autoclave and incinerator is the environmental effect of the technology. Autoclave causes very low pollution to soil and water. However, discharged effluent may affect water quality. Odors are an issue to close nearby areas if not equipped with a proper ventilation system. Gas and water generated during the process should be treated then discharged.
Incinerator emissions vary depending on the waste type. For example, in the presence of halogenated materials, carcinogens like Dioxins and furans are formed. Therefore, it causes air pollution at a high rate. On the other hand, residual ash should be treated because it contains harmful effluent. New incinerator models with filters can reduce pollution to some extent.
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Connect NowEfficiency: Autoclave Vs. Incinerator
For autoclaves, minimum exposure time and temperature is required for proper disinfection. From the number of references, time-temperature recommendations are found for different circumstances. Autoclaves efficacy is 99.99% reported. Color-changing strip indicators or biological indicator strips are used to detect efficiency. Autoclaved wastes are post-tested for many microorganisms, even thermostable. For all the tests, the results are satisfactory.
Modern incinerator efficiency is 70-80% with proper ash, gas emission treatment setup. These measures reduce air pollution standards. But many viable spores of microbes like B. Anthracis, B. subtilis, B. Stearothermophilus, a heat resistant bacteria, are found in incinerated wastes. Very appropriate data is not present.
Requirements: Autoclave Vs. Incinerator
Autoclaves are mostly electric-based. It is a problem in places with limited electricity supply. In addition, most primitive incinerators need electricity for fuel pumps, fans, temperature, and other gauges. So, incinerators are also power-dependent.
|
Utility |
Autoclave |
Incinerator |
|
Electricity |
All autoclaves run on electricity. Either for the whole process or control systems. |
All need electricity. The primitive ones need fuel pumps, fans, temperature, and other gauges. |
|
Water |
Need for steam generation. Water should be free from salts to prevent clogging of pipes and corrosion. |
It is needed for wet scrubbers. |
|
Lime |
No need |
For drying the scrubbers. 120kg/ ton of burned waste. |
|
Ventilation |
The working area must be cool. |
The working area must be cool. Prevent exposure to toxic gases. |
|
Drainage |
For used water discharge. |
For washing and disposing of effluent from scrubbers. |
|
Fuel |
No need |
Diesel for large ones and kerosene for smaller ones. |
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Area requirement for setup: Autoclave Vs. Incinerator
For the waste treatment plant, the site needs careful considerations as autoclaves are machines, so it needs a medium-sized room area to set up. However, autoclaves have fewer restrictions on setup location because they don’t emit pollutants and have few sound and odor problems.
Incinerators need large setup areas for their different sections. It can cause problems in the neighborhood. Incinerators need to be set up with following points in mind:-
- It should be away from the human population.
- Wooden areas like forests, valleys ridges are avoided and may cause dispersion.
- Hilltops, open fields are favored for their setups.
- Locations where surrounding areas don’t have crop fields.
User friendly: Autoclave Vs. Incinerators
Autoclaves are primarily automatic. They come with pre-installed disinfection programs. This makes handling them very easy. All these functions make it very user-friendly.
Incineration needs a trained and educated operator. An operator must know about the:-
- The correct measure of waste.
- The calorific value of different waste.
- When to increase or decrease the temperature.
- The correct procedure to start and shut down the incinerator.
- The correct rate for maintaining suitable operating temperature.
- When to add extra fuel, etc.
Waste capacity: Autoclave Vs. Incinerators
Autoclave and incinerators both are available in small as well as large sizes. Benchtop models of ten liters for upto 5kg/ hour to large models of 500 liters or above with more than 50kg/ hour capacity. Every model has its significant advantages. Like small benchtops, autoclaves are used to treat highly infectious wastes, up to250 liters for a developing hospital. For a hub or waste from many large surrounding hospitals, 250-500 liters are used. > 500 liters are used for central treatment plants. The same goes for the incinerator also.
Maintenance: Autoclave Vs. Incinerator
All the waste management equipment needs periodic maintenance and repair. The operator can do most routine maintenance and repair. Autoclaves maintenance comes from:-
- Pipes leakage
- Door sealing gasket failure
- Burnout of heating elements
- Control panel failure
- Corrosion and pipe blockage, because of supplied water
- Shredders failure, if autoclave have
- Rotatory platform problems, if autoclave have
It has been observed around the globe that with proper maintenance, autoclaves possibly remain operational for 10-20 years.
In incinerators, Photocell, spark electrode, the oil filter element of primary thermocouple, and heated refractory screens may need renewal once in two years. Fire bars approx; every five years; pumps and burner motors may need substitution in 10 years. Manufacturers say the lifespan of their machinery is ten years, but it’s closer to 5 years.
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Connect TodayEconomics: Autoclave Vs. Incinerator
The World Health Organisation has developed a costing tool used to estimate the expenses related to different treatment technologies. Autoclaves turn out to be the most convenient option for most situations.
Capital cost
Money is an important difference of autoclave and incinerator. Like any resource, treatment technology is also dependent on the brand and technology. The price of autoclaves and incinerators varies greatly. High-end technology made in the US and Europe is relatively expensive than those made in places like India and China.
According to a report by UNEP, the estimate of a diesel incinerator capable of meeting air pollution standards corresponding to the Stockholm Convention was $275,000 for an installation burning 50kg/hour. For autoclave US $110000 for 80kr/hr and larger and sophisticated models, it is averaged about $220000 for 1300kg/hr.
Operation cost
Operation costs are often missed while purchasing new equipment. But, in the long term, operation costs outweigh the purchase cost.
UNEP technology compendium estimates in a report that treatment costs for autoclaves to be 0.14-0.33US$/kg. And incineration with air pollution control costs US$ 0.27-1.66 per kg.
Some Other factors: Autoclave Vs. Incinerator
|
Factors |
Autoclave |
Incinerator |
|
Volume Reduction |
If equipped with shredder, upto 85-90% |
90% reduction in volume |
|
Mass Reduction |
No mass reduction |
Upto 70% of mass reduction |
|
Dioxin, Furan production |
No production |
Only if the waste has halogenated substances. |
|
Bothering |
Sometimes odor may be a minor issue; otherwise, none |
High, often complained from the neighborhood because of noise and odor. |
|
Resource Recovery |
Materials like syringes, metal plates, etc., can be recovered. |
None |
|
Residual waste |
Recycling is easily possible but may be a problem where recycling and final disposal options are limited. |
Ash can be toxic and may have sharp residue. The exhaust also produces toxic residue. |
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Buyer Listings Seller ListingsConclusion
Every technology has pros and cons and this is no different. However, according to the evaluation for the difference of autoclave and incinerator, autoclaves seem to have the upper hand. Either from an environmental point of view or technological autoclaves are better. The only limitation is that it is more costly than an incinerator.
However, if you require consistent destruction and removal of hazardous medical and pathological waste for many years the next generation high quality environmentally optimised Medical Incinerators are your options. I hope you enjoy the blog like it if you have. For more related blogs, please subscribe to us. And please mention anything you want to say regarding the subject in the comment box below. Talk to our hazardous waste consultants here.
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