Hydrogel bead nanocomposite for the management of biomedical aqueous waste

• Published in: Minerva Biotechnology and Biomolecular Research Vol. 33; no. 3; p. 174
• Main Authors: POORANI, Thiruvengadasamy R., GIRI, Sandhiyadevi, BEGUM, Shazia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Torino Edizioni Minerva Medica 01.09.2021
• Subjects: Activated carbon; Cadmium; Chitosan; Chromium; Contamination; Disinfection; Dressings; Dust; Gloves; Heavy metals; Hydrogels; Marine organisms; Medical dressings; Medical wastes; Nanocomposites; Nanoparticles; Polymers; Tea; Toxicity; Urbanization; Wastes; Water pollution; Zinc oxide
• ISSN: 2724-542X; 1120-4826; 2724-5934; 1827-160X
• DOI: 10.23736/S2724-542X.20.02643-9

Biomedical waste (BMW) is any solid or liquid waste, which may present a threat of infection to humans. The wastes are generated from health care institutes, hospitals, veterinary, animal care and research laboratories. Growing urbanization has led to several changes in the healthcare sector in India. Most of the biomedical wastes are disposed in aqueous regions. This will disturb the life of marine organisms and humans in any way. The biomedical wastes mostly composed of blood, sharps, microbiological culture and stalks, human or animal tissue, used bandages, dressings, and discarded gloves. And also it contains some toxic heavy metals like cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, and zinc. To control the water pollution and reducing the toxicity of heavy metals in water bodies the current study focused on the development of nanocomposite derived from waste tea dust as a natural adsorbent of various heavy metals. Usually the tea dust nanocomposite is conjugated with metal oxides or some synthetic polymers. Since this is concentrated on water bodies, these chemical usages may contaminate the water bodies. To overcome this problem, the hydrogel beads were synthesized using naturally extracted polymer from marine source. By conjugating this activated carbon derived from tea dust with polymers (chitosan) can enhance the adsorption ability of biomedical wastes. In order to reduce the bacterial contamination produced by biomedical waste, the nanocomposite will be conjugated with zinc oxide nanoparticle to improve its disinfection property.