Uzych L
J Environ Health. 1990 Jan-Feb;52(4):233-5.
The effective management of medical wastes poses a broad range of complex, unresolved questions. Definitions for "medical waste" and "infectious waste" must be clarified. Although news media coverage has drawn attention to aesthetic problems raised when medical wastes wash up on beaches, the possibility of significant health and environmental risks presented by such wastes must not be neglected. Many states have passed laws regulating various parts of the medical waste management process. A major new federal law, the Medical Waste Tracking Act of 1988, also has been enacted. Extensive research must be undertaken to seal existing gaps in knowledge affecting medical waste management. The public and generators of medical wastes must be educated about attendant issues and legal requirements. As further research is pursued, regulatory programs should be developed based on the best available data.
医疗废物的有效管理带来了一系列广泛、复杂且尚未解决的问题。必须明确“医疗废物”和“传染性废物”的定义。尽管新闻媒体的报道已引起人们对医疗废物冲上海滩所引发的美学问题的关注，但此类废物带来重大健康和环境风险的可能性绝不可忽视。许多州已通过法律对医疗废物管理过程的各个环节进行规范。一项重要的新联邦法律，即1988年的《医疗废物追踪法案》也已颁布。必须进行广泛研究以填补影响医疗废物管理的现有知识空白。必须对公众和医疗废物产生者进行相关问题及法律要求方面的教育。随着进一步研究的推进，应根据现有最佳数据制定监管计划。
