Vol. 395 No. 3
159 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for Health if he will outline the desirable temperatures for the incineration of the following categories of waste (i) Class A (ii) Class B (iii) Class C and (iv) Class D; the report from which such temperatures were decided upon; and whether an analysis of the emissions from the stack where testing was carried out were published or could be made available.
The recommended temperature for incineration of hospital waste, which would typically include waste designated as Class A, B, C and D, varies from one country to another. A survey of emission rules in seven countries, published in the Journal of the Institute of Hospital Engineering of October 1988, shows recommended temperatures from 800ºC to 1000ºC. All incinerators recently installed in hospitals in this country have a minimum specified burning temperature of 1000ºC. Arrangements are in hand to ensure that all waste will be incinerated in conditions which comply with these requirements.
I am not aware of any published reports which relate to the analysis of emissions from hospital incineration stacks in this country. However, it is generally accepted that emissions from waste which is incinerated at the recommended temperature do not constitute an environmental hazard.
