Biomedical Wastes include wastes that result from diagnosing, treating or immunizing humans or animals, click this link. They also refer to the wastes generated by research activities and testing biological samples. A biological specimen is any material prepared from organisms, microorganisms and products of metabolisms and biochemical processes. It can be used for research purposes or to diagnose or treat humans or other animals.

A variety of waste materials is generated during health care. This includes used needles and medical syringes. It also includes body parts and diagnostic samples. The improper management of waste generated by health care can cause infection and other toxic effects to health care providers, waste handlers as well as patients, the general public and community members. Inevitably, all medical waste will be separated at the time of production and treated properly before being disposed off safely. The production of dioxins/furans as well as other toxic air pollution can result from the burning at low temperatures of wastes and plastics which contain polyvinylchloride. Toxic substances such as dioxins furans and PCBs co-planars are created by industrial processes. This includes combustion of wastes which contain polyvinyl chlorine. In the form of bottom or flying ash and toxic air pollution, Dioxins furans co-planars PCBs can also be formed.

In the presence of a properly-operated and adequate infrastructure, it is possible to safely dispose health care waste at rural clinics. WHO estimated that in the year 2000, contamination of injections by contaminated devices caused 21 Million hepatitis B Virus infections (32% new infections), Two million hepatitis B Virus infections with contaminated instruments (40% new infection) and At least 260000 HIV infections (5% new infection). An assessment of 22 developing countries by WHO conducted in 2002 showed that health-care institutions were not using proper disposal methods between 18% and 64 percent.