What is Pathological Waste?

Pathological waste is regulated waste also categorized as biohazardous waste. Specifically, pathological waste is any recognizable organ, body part, or tissue from a human or animal. It must be handled as infectious to avoid the spread of potentially dangerous diseases or infections.

What are Examples of Pathological Waste?

Pathological waste can come from different medical procedures, like testing human tissue for analysis or a diagnosis, so there are various examples of pathological waste. Here are some common examples,

• Tissue specimens collected from a human or animal
• Blood specimen collected from a human or animal
• Human or animal parts removed during surgery
• Human or animal parts removed during an autopsy
• Human or animal body parts
• Human or animal organs
• Bodily fluids removed during surgery or autopsy

Teeth, hair, and nails are not considered pathological waste.

How to Properly Handle Pathological Waste

Because pathological waste can be very dangerous if not handled properly, it is strictly regulated and requires special handling. It's important to segregate pathological waste from other biohazardous waste types because it may require a different disposal method.

Generally, it's best practice to double-bag anatomical waste that can contain bodily fluids to help prevent leaking. Reusable medical waste containers have also become common packaging receptacles for pathological waste for that same reason.

Once your waste is segregated, you should always label your pathological waste as such. This helps others handle this waste with care and follow the appropriate regulations when handling the special waste. Properly labelling your pathological waste is very important for your medical waste disposal partner so they can treat and dispose of the waste following regulatory guidelines as well.

Disposing of Pathological Waste

Whether you're a veterinary clinic, medical examiner, plastic or cosmetic surgeon, or a hospital, you may be generating pathological waste. After properly handling, segregating, and labelling your pathological waste, you'll work with your medical waste management partner to have it disposed of. You as the waste generator are responsible for the compliant disposal of your regulated waste, which can come with serious fines if it doesn't follow local, state, and federal guidelines. It's important that you are familiar with your medical waste management company's disposal method and trust that they are following all regulations to keep you compliant.

Partnering with BWS to Manage your Pathological Waste

Here at Biomedical Waste Services, Inc. (BWS) we have over 45 years of experience collecting, transporting, and disposing of pathological and biohazardous waste for a variety of industries in the mid-Atlantic area, including Maryland, Virginia, Washington D.C., Delaware, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. We've partnered with many healthcare facilities and other industry organizations to manage their pathological waste and keep their workplaces compliant to avoid injuries and large fines. As the local experts in managing regulated waste with a flawless compliance record of our own, we understand the complexities of regulatory requirements and the importance of safety for people and our environment. Call or contact us today to partner with a medical waste management company you can reply on to manage your pathological and other regulated waste needs.

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