The paper aims to analyze and evaluate the medical wastes management in the cities of Vacacaí river basin in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Health care facilities (hospitals, health centers and clinical laboratories) were surveyed to provide information about the management, segregation, generation, storage and disposal of medical wastes. The results about management aspects indicate that practices in most healthcare facilities do not comply with the principles stated in Brazilian legislation (CONAMA Resolution N. 283/2001). Average generation rate of total waste in the hospitals was estimated to be 3,245 kg/bed.day (17.6% from Group A). A total medical waste generated in the study area was estimated to be 182,640 kg/month (22.1% from Group A).
Medical wastes; waste management; waste generation
