Energy Research Financial Assistance Program Notice 95-08: Electron Beam Irradiation of Medical Waste

Résumé

The Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER) of the Office of Energy Research (ER), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), announces its interest in receiving applications for support of the research and development of technology for commercial exploitation of electron beam sterilization of infectious hospital waste in preparation for disposal. It is essential that the research be conducted at a public, urban teaching hospital affiliated with a comprehensive medical school and research center with an active electron beam program and documentable experience in operating a functional machine. In recent years, the practice of handling medical infectious waste by incineration or autoclaving has resulted in public controversies in terms of environmental and public health issues. Irradiation of medical infectious waste by electrons might provide an environmentally safe and publically acceptable method for disposing of this waste. Applications should also address: (a) Monitoring and validating the treatment efficacy; (b) pre-irradiation processing of waste, and (c) economic feasibility of this approach. Before preparing a formal application, potential applicants are encouraged to subm