ELECTRON BEAM STERILIZATION OF INFECTIOUS HOSPITAL WASTE

WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE THE USE OF ELECTRON BEAM STERLIZATION OF HOSPITAL WASTE AS A MEANS OF OVERCOMING THE LIMITATIONS OF EXISTING HOSPITAL WASTE STERILIZATION TECHNIQUES. WHEN COMBINED WITH A SHREDDER WHICH REDUCES THETHICKNESS OF THE WASTE, AND RENDERS THE THICKNESS MORE UNIFORM, ELECTRON BEAMS IN THE 3-4 MEV, AND 3-20 KW RANGE A ARE IDEAL FOR THIS TASK. ONGOING PROGRAMS AT NORTH STAR RESEARCH CORPORATION ARE EXPECTED TO REDUCE THE COSTS OF SUCH ACCELERATORS TO THE $ 200,000 - 300,000 RANGE SO THAT ELECTRON BEAM WASTE STERILIZATION WILL BE ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE WITH EXISTING TECHNIQUES. THE PROPOSED PROGRAM WILL DEVELOP TECHNIQUES TO ASSURE COMPLETE, RELIABLE STERILIZATION OF WASTE. THE ELECTRON BEAM TECHNIQUE HAS THEPOTENTIAL TO REDUCE THE COST OF STERILIZING HOSPITAL WASTE TO LESS THAN $.10/LB. SO THAT WLL WASTE FROM A HOSPITAL CAN BE STERILIZED AND SEGREGATION OF INFECTIOUS WASTE IS NOT REQUIRED. THE ELECTRON BEAM TECHNIQUE IS SUPERIOR TO ALL OTHERS IN THE DEGREES AND EASE WITH WHICH STERILITY--NOT JUST DISINFECTION--CAN BE ASSURED. IN PHASE I, WE WILL INVESTIGATE HOW THE ELECTRON BEAM ACCELERATOR CAN BE INTEGRATED INTO THE WASTE HANDLING SYSTEM, THE CONFIGURATIONOF THE OVERALL DESIGN, AND DETERMINE REALISTIC SYSTEM CAPITAL AND OPERATING COSTS. THIS TECHNIQUE IS MADE POSSIBLE BY AN INNOVATIVE IN-PROCESS STERILIZATION DETECTOR WHICH WILL BE INVESTIGATED COMPUTATIONALLY. THIS ELIMINATESTHE DANGER OF SHADOWING DURING STERILIZATION, AND WE WILL BEABLE TO VERIFY STERILITY WHILE THE STERILIZATION PROCESS IS GOING ON.