CHARACTERIZATION OF PRODUCTS WHICH CREATE DANGEROUS CHEMICAL WASTE: A STUDY IN A PUBLIC UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL

Abstract

This descriptive study aimed to identify, in the areas of Pharmacy and the stockroom of a Public University Hospital, the groups of products characterized as creating Dangerous Chemical Waste, according to the legal classification. A form for identifying these products was used for data collection, which took place in 2008. Analysis of the data revealed the existence of 138 items classified in 12 Groups of products which, once used or out of date, create waste with dangerous characteristics, according to the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency. These products’ active ingredients present risks to health, such as toxicity to various organs or systems in the human body, as well as the potential for inflammability, corrosiveness and reactivity of some substances. These characteristics are highly relevant, as the chemical wastes can, at some point, impact negatively on the worker’s health, on public health, or on the environment.

Keywords

• Chemical waste
• Occupational health
• Public health
• Environmental health