Title: Hospital waste management after the outbreak of coronavirus in Shariati Hospital of Mashhad City

Authors: Moslem Razavinejad; Fahimeh Moghaddam; Hosein Alidadi; Behnam Barikbin; Aliakbar Dehghan

Addresses: Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, 9137673119, Iran ' Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, 9137673119, Iran; Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Zabol University of Medical Sciences, Zabol, Iran ' Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, 9137673119, Iran; Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran ' Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, 9137673119, Iran; Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran ' Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, 9137673119, Iran; Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract: Ensuring proper medical waste management in hospitals and health centres during health emergencies such as the crisis of COVID-19 disease is one of the most critical obstacles in preventing diseases. We aimed to explore hospital waste management at Shariati Hospital of Mashhad during the outbreak of COVID-19 disease in a period of 4 months from March to June 2021. The average weight of infectious waste increased by 134% and general waste decreased by 87% compared to before the outbreak. Also, 90% of the total waste produced during the hospitalisation of COVID-19 patients is infectious waste, while plastics have the highest percentage. In the decontamination of infectious wastes, the results of 95.9% of the tests were in good condition. Also, according to the hospital waste management checklist, the score obtained in all stages of waste management in the hospital was 82%.

Keywords: Mashhad Shariati Hospital; hospital waste management; COVID-19 disease; outbreak; infectious waste; checklist.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEWM.2025.150151

International Journal of Environment and Waste Management, 2025 Vol.38 No.4, pp.389 - 406

Received: 30 Sep 2023
Accepted: 24 Feb 2024
Published online: 02 Dec 2025 *

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