Quantity and Quality Analysis and Management of Dental Solid Waste Produced in Private Office in Urmia

نویسندگان

1 Professor, Dept. of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

2 Lecturer, Dept. of Environmental Health, School of Health, Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.

3 Associate Professor, Dept. of Environmental Health, School of Health, Health Sciences Research Center, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

4 Master Student, Dept. of Microbiology, Students Research Committee, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.

doi
10.22037/jds.v33i4.24699
چکیده

Objective: Dental solid wastes often contain hazardous substances. The first step of management of dental solid wastes includes detection and classification of these substances. This study aimed to qualitatively and quantitatively assess the management of solid wastes by dental offices in Urmia  city in 2013.Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on all private dental offices in Urmia city and six samples were collected of the wastes of each office per season. Samples were manually searched, divided into 16 different categories and weighed by a digital scale. In the next step, the weighed components were classified according to their characteristics and hazardous potential.Results: The total amount of solid wastes produced by dental offices in Urmia city was 81 kg/day consisting of 28.3% infectious wastes, 59% domestic-like wastes, 9.6% chemical and  pharmaceutical wastes and 2.7% toxic wastes. Waste reduction and recycling programs were not performed in any office.Conclusion: Considering the type and quantity of generated dental solid wastes, especially the infectious wastes and their adverse effects on public health and the environment, a specific strategy must be designed for management of dental solid wastes.