The capacity for infectious waste management in Thailand under normal circumstances and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This study aimed to (1) assess the capacity of Thailand's primary infectious waste management facilities and (2) compare their capacity under normal circumstances (2017-2019) versus during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022). Data on infectious waste volumes in Thailand from 2017 to 2022 were analyzed using descriptive statistics, based on information collected from the Bureau of Environmental Health, Department of Health, Ministry of Public Health. Results revealed that infectious waste volumes increased from 78,330 tons during normal circumstances to 150,527 tons during COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, 19 agencies provide infectious waste disposal services in Thailand, with a total capacity of 188,321 tons per year, comprising 18 waste incineration plants (186,479 tons/year) and one steam sterilizer (1,752 tons/year). The study found that Thailand has sufficient capacity to dispose of infectious waste, with 58.4% excess capacity under normal circumstances and 20.1% excess capacity during the pandemic. However, only 89.74-98.4% of infectious waste from various sources was properly disposed according to standard procedures. The accumulation of untreated infectious waste primarily occurs due to improper waste segregation at the source, leading to a significant amount of accumulated infectious waste before the disposal stage. This research concludes that comprehensive monitoring of infectious waste generation requires mandatory reporting from all sources to address the challenge of infectious waste management, particularly during public health crises.