Incineration is a waste treatment process through combustion of organic substances contained inmedical waste incineration. The incineration is a high-temperature waste treatment system and converts the waste into ash, gas and heat.According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2009), “the safest and most unambiguous method for ensuring that there is no risk of residual infectivity on contaminated instruments and other materials is to discard and destroy them by incineration”
In a Biosecurity Lab, incineration is an alternative to autoclaving only if the incinerator are under laboratory control. In laboratories, decontamination of wastes and their ultimate disposal are interconnected although it is not part of daily use the removal from the laboratory or destruction. Most of the laboratory clothing, instruments and glassware can be reused or recycling. However, all infectious materials should be decontaminated, autoclaved or incinerated within the laboratory. The process of decontamination includes the autoclaving process before disposal and then the transportation of containers to the incineration. The World Health Organization (2004) recommends that if an incinerator is available on the laboratory site, autoclaving may be omitted.
Proper incineration requires an efficient means of temperature control and a secondary burning chamber. Some incinerators have a single combustion chamber, can be considered unsatisfactory if not properly handle, due to the fact that infectious materials, animal carcasses and plastics may not be destroyed completely and pollute the atmosphere with microorganisms, toxic chemicals and smoke. It is important to configure combustion at least 800 °C on the first chamber and 1000 °C in the second one. If the incinerator is not in the laboratory, the material should be decontaminated and transported in the appropriate plastic bags. Incinerator attendants should receive proper instructions about loading and temperature control.
According to the World Health Organization (2004) “Gas- and electrically-heated microincinerators have borosilicate glass or ceramic shields that minimize the spatter and dispersal of infected material when transfer loops are sterilized. However, microincinerators can disturb the airflow and should therefore be placed towards the back of the work surface in biological safety cabinets”
There is a concern about possible negative environmental effects of the incinerators, and science is making efforts to make incinerators more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient
In Kalstein we have a bactincinarator HERE is a very useful tool for sterilizing inoculating loops and needles through electricity.