Detection of Environmental risks Resulting from burning medical waste in Baghdad and its impact on Public Health
Keywords:
Air pollution, medical waste, Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons, Heavy metals, medical incinerators.Abstract
The research involved the investigation of PAHs in the air resulting from the incinerations of medical waste, and the determination the proportions of these aromatics in the air due to a importance as high-risk pollutants. It also identifies concentrations of some toxic heavy metals such as lead (Pb2+), Cadmium (Cd2+), mercury (Hg), Nickel (Ni2+), and zinc (Zn2+) in samples of air because of their negative effects on human health. Four air samples were collected from the hospital incinerator Al-alwea, 2020, and the HPLC technique was used to identify PAHs. The results showed that hydrocarbon ratios ranged between 0.720-1.789μg / m3 and were within the permissible limits of WHO (1996). Heavy metals were ranged between (0.042-1436.6 μg/m3). The zinc component was very high and its highest value was 1436.6 μg/m3. The concentration of Nickel was also high and ranged from 0.087-1.078 μg/m3. Mercury concentrations ranged between (0.042-0.0586μg/m3) and these concentrations, although few, are considered to be contaminated with air. The study concluded by examining the association between the ambient air concentrations of PAHs and heavy metals, and it found excellent agreement.
This study has made significant progress in understanding this system in the study area and is an initial step toward the monitoring and Assessment for health purposes.
