| In fact, if not for the sake of hospital waste, one | | | | residue as well air emissions that are carcinogenic. |
| could have categorically concluded that waste | | | | Further more, the nature of waste generated which |
| incineration should be phase-out from the developing | | | | contains more of organic cannot be properly handled |
| countries- especially, Nigeria. The reasons are quite | | | | by indigenous incinerators with perceived low in-built |
| obvious; incineration requires high skill and technicality. | | | | temperature. Incineration is a high temperature dry |
| The types of incinerators that are very common in | | | | oxidation process that reduces organic and |
| Nigeria are by far different from those ones that are | | | | combustible waste to inorganic, incombustible matter. |
| found and being used in the civilized countries. | | | | Then, incinerator can be used for sludge and mix |
| Taking Ibadan city for example, no incinerator has | | | | kitchen wastes with very small low heat value. |
| provision for flue gas treatment and, to large extent, | | | | However, none of locally made incinerators can |
| energy recovery. Perhaps, you can only find | | | | effectively do this because of lower temperature |
| electrically powered incinerator at the University | | | | (usually lower than 10000C). Worse still, most of |
| Teaching Hospital, Ibadan. Apart from this, the | | | | them are built without provision for fuel and usually |
| incinerators were not normally built with high | | | | clogged with unburnt or partially burnt matters. |
| chimneys to take care of gaseous emissions. | | | | In conclusion, due to the sophistication, high |
| Although, no other methods of effective pathogen | | | | technology and skill, and high capital involved in normal |
| reduction have ever prescribed for health care | | | | incineration, and also due to the threat posed to the |
| facilities worldwide other than incineration, | | | | environment and health by the current method in |
| non-incineration technologies are being encouraged in | | | | some developing countries, Nigeria inclusive, it could |
| recent years by many environmental pressure | | | | be suggested that locally made incinerators phase out |
| groups. The reasons include toxic and obnoxious ash | | | | in these countries for now. |