An Assessment of Biomedical Waste (BMW) Production and Management and its Impact on the Environment and Disease Transmission Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Philippines

ABSTRACT

The study aimed to analyze the impact of pandemic-related BMW production and management in the Philippines and its potential role in transmitting the COVID-19 virus via a mixed-methods analysis of data from surveys of different sectors (consumers of medical waste, deliverymen, and medical workers) and using secondary sources. The results revealed that the most common types of PPE used in the country are disposable face masks and face shields, wherein all respondents reported an increase in the consumption of medical materials. An improper disposal of an estimated 85 million disposable face masks and 50 million face shields in the Philippines poses a serious threat to the environment and health in the Philippines, a biodiversity hot spot. There was a strong correlation between the increased exposure to BMW and laxer degrees of implementation of proper BMW disposal practices. The paper also established an estimated consumption of - 120.5 million face masks, - 71.4 million face shields, -38 million disposable gloves, and - 4.1 million full-body suits per day in the Philippines. The actual output of biomedical waste in the country drastically increased in a year, comprising an average daily output of 3,390 tons of BMW (- 482 tons for face masks, - 2,544 tons for face shields, - 198 tons for disposable gloves, and - 167 tons for full-body suits which is an important discovery regarding the biomedical waste in the country. These estimates were found to be higher than those reported by the Asian Development Bank in 2020. All sectors reported low awareness levels and confidence in the country's effectiveness in implementing current BMW management practices. Copyright © 2022 Oriental Scientific Publishing Company. All rights reserved.