Journal of Microwave Power and Electromagnetic Energy (JMPEE)
TITLE	Non-Incineration Microwave Assisted Sterilization of Medical Waste [PDF]
AUTHORS	P. Veronesi, C. Leonelli, U. Moscato, A. Cappi and O. Figurelli 2005 40 4 211-218
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Abstract A non-incineration method for sterilizing hospital infectious wastes has been studied and realized. A small apparatus operating at 2.45 GHz and at a power of 3 kW was designed to optimize power transfer from the electromagnetic field to the infectious materials, which have been previously shredded and moisture-corrected. The high pressure reached in the reactor, 7 atm, was enough to ensure complete sterilization in just a few minutes for a batch of several hundred grams of waste. Sterilization efficacy during microwave irradiation was also optimized with a new procedure using thermal, microbiological and water vapour sensors in a single test.