Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic actualized questions about the proper management of biomedical waste while creating several regulatory challenges and requiring countries to look for an appropriate response. These issues have become particularly relevant for Kazakhstan, where waste management issues traditionally face inefficient legal regulation and are particularly acute. This study aims to answer the question of what regulatory problems Kazakhstan currently face in the area of proper biomedical waste management, and how existing foreign experience can help solve them. The present study highlights several pertinent challenges within the context of medical waste management. These include issues concerning the licencing activities associated with waste management, the absence of well-defined regional plans for the management of medical waste and the lack of effective strategies to address the proper handling and disposal of this specific category of waste. At the same time, there are reasons to say that the country requires additional technical and expert support in the field of medical waste management.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Data availability
Data will be available on request.
References
Ahmetzhanov, B., Tazhibekova, K., Shametova, A., & Urazbekov, A. (2018). Expanded implementation of solar photovoltaics: Forecasting and risk assessment. International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, 8(5), 113–118.
Al-Fikri, F. F., & Nugroho, R. A. (2021). Evaluation of implementation about COVID-19 medical waste management policies in health care facilities. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 905(1), 012124. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/905/1/012124
Alrawi, A. S., Amin, S. A., & Al-Ani, R. R. (2021). Medical waste management during COVID-19 pandemic, a review study. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 779(1), 012130. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/779/1/012130
Asian Development Bank. (2022). Projects and Tenders. ADB Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.adb.org/projects
Babanyara, Y. Y., Aliyu, A., Gana, B. A., & Musa, M. A. (2020). Review of the knowledge, attitude, and practices of healthcare wastes workers (Hcws) on medical waste in developing countries. In G. Marfe & C. Di Stefano (Eds.), Risks and challenges of hazardous waste management: Reviews and case studies (pp. 25–45). Bentham Science Publishers. https://doi.org/10.2174/9789811472466120010005
Bergesen, H. O., Parmann, G., & Thommessen, Ø. B. (2018). Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal (Basel Convention). In H. O. Bergesen, G. Parmann, & O. B. Thommessen (Eds.), Yearbook of International Cooperation on Environment and Development 1998–99 (pp. 87–89). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315066547-15
Capoor, M. R., & Parida, A. (2021). Biomedical waste and solid waste management in the time of COVID-19: A comprehensive review of the national and international scenario and guidelines. Journal of Laboratory Physicians, 13(2), 175–182. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1729132
Chen, C., Chen, J., Fang, R., Ye, F., Yang, Z., Wang, Z., Shi, F., & Tan, W. (2021). What medical waste management system may cope with COVID-19 pandemic: Lessons from Wuhan. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 170, 105600. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105600
Dusza-Zwolińska, E., & Saran, E. (2019). Punkty selektywnej zbiórki odpadów komunalnych jako przykład dobrze funkcjonującej gospodarki odpadami w mieście. Aura, 4, 17–19.
Govindan, K., Nasr, A. K., Mostafazadeh, P., & Mina, H. (2021). Medical waste management during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak: A mathematical programming model. Computers & Industrial Engineering, 162, 107668. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cie.2021.107668
Hansen, W., Christopher, M., & Verbuecheln, M. (2002). EU waste policy and challenges for regional and local authorities. Ecological Institute for International and European Environmental Policy Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.ecologic.eu/sites/default/files/project/2013/1921-1922_background_paper_waste_en.PDF
Ilyassova, G., Nukusheva, A., Arenova, L., Karzhassova, G., & Akimzhanova, M. (2021). Prospects of legal regulation in the field of electronic waste management in the context of a circular economy. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 21, 367–388. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-020-09514-3
Inglezakis, V. J., Moustakas, K., Khamitova, G., Tokmurzin, D., Sarbassov, Y., Rakhmatulina, R., Serik, B., Abikak, Y., & Poulopoulos, S. G. (2018). Current municipal solid waste management in the cities of Astana and Almaty of Kazakhstan and evaluation of alternative management scenarios. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, 20(3), 503–516. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-018-1502-x
Insa, E., Zamorano, M., & López, R. (2010). Critical review of medical waste legislation in Spain. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 54(12), 1048–1059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2010.06.005
Jiajun, W. (2020). Cement industry in China assisted with disposal of COVID-19 healthcare waste. ZKG Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.zkg.de/en/artikel/zkg_Cement_industry_in_China_assisted_with_disposal_of_Covid-19_healthcare_3535100.html
Kazinform. (2022). Hazardous medical waste liquidated in Almaty region. Kazinform Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.inform.kz/ru/opasnye-medothody-likvidiruyut-v-almatinskoy-oblasti_a3923245
KazWaste. (2020). When the “garbage” business in Kazakhstan will become truly profitable. KazWaste Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://kaz-waste.kz/news/560/
Koc-Jurczyk, J. (2023). Selected factors affecting the amount of municipal waste at different administrative levels in Poland. Journal of Ecological Engineering, 24(6), 197–206. https://doi.org/10.12911/22998993/162779
Kulikova, O. V., & Sorokina, Y. V. (2021). National and international medical waste: Legal regulation strategies. Legal Policy and Legal Life, 2, 50–57.
Mazhilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (2022). First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Sklyar R.V. Response to a deputy inquiry 03.03.2022, 21-09/533dz. Mazhilis Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.parlam.kz/ru/mazhilis/question-details/18737
Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan. (2020). Order of the Minister of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated November 30, 2020 No. In ҚР ДСМ-219 On approval of the rules for providing information on medical waste. Minister of Health Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://adilet.zan.kz/rus/docs/V2000021704
Mohajan, H. K. (2021). Germany is ahead to implement sustainable circular economy. Journal of Economic Development, Environment and People, 10(2), 46–64.
Nabavi-Pelesaraei, A., Mohammadkashi, N., Naderloo, L., Abbasi, M., & Chau, K. W. (2022). Principal of environmental life cycle assessment for medical waste during COVID-19 outbreak to support sustainable development goals. Science of the Total Environment, 827, 154416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154416
NPA. (2022). In NPA (Ed.), Qualification requirements for individuals and legal entities engaged in the collection, transportation, storage, neutralization, burial and use of medical waste Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://legalacts.egov.kz/npa/view?id=14015487
Nukusheva, A., Ilyassova, G., Rustembekova, D., Zhamiyeva, R., & Arenova, L. (2021). Global warming problem faced by the international community: International legal aspect. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 21, 219–233. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-020-09500-9
OECD. (2019). In OECD (Ed.), National Report based on the OECD Green Growth Indicators Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.oecd.org/countries/kazakhstan/Green-Growth-Indicators-Kazakhstan-English.pdf
Peiry, K. K. (2013). The Basel Convention on the control of transboundary movements of hazardous wastes and their disposal: The Basel Convention at a glance. In E. Lovall (Ed.), Proceedings of the ASIL Annual Meeting (Vol. 107, pp. 434–436). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.5305/procannmeetasil.107.0434
Phys. (2022). WHO warns of COVID medical waste threat. Phys Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://phys.org/news/2022-02-covid-medical-threat.html
Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy, E-waste Coalition. (2019). A new circular vision for electronics time for a global reboot. WEForum Retrieved March 13, 2022, from http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_A_New_Circular_Vision_for_Electronics.pdf
Prata, J. C., Silva, A. L. P., Da Costa, J. P., Mouneyrac, C., Walker, T. R., Duarte, A. C., & Rocha-Santos, T. (2019). Solutions and integrated strategies for the control and mitigation of plastic and microplastic pollution. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(13), 2411. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132411
Promoting Sustainable Development. (2020). Overview on the impact of COVID-19 on chemicals and waste. Web Cache Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:-MrLpN_af7UJ:https://csd-center.kz/download/files/Obzor_Vliyanie_COVID-19_na_HV_i_othody_3_.docx+&cd=1&hl=ru&ct=clnk&gl=nl
Rizan, C., Reed, M., & Bhutta, M. F. (2021). Environmental impact of personal protective equipment distributed for use by health and social care services in England in the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 114(5), 250–263. https://doi.org/10.1177/2F01410768211001583
Sabekov, S. (2022). Kazakhstan proposes to tighten control over enterprises for the disposal of medical waste. KazInform Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.inform.kz/ru/uzhestochit-kontrol-za-predpriyatiyami-po-utilizacii-medothodov-predlagayut-v-kazahstane_a3894121
Sangkham, S. (2020). Face mask and medical waste disposal during the novel COVID-19 pandemic in Asia. Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, 2, 100052. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cscee.2020.100052
Saparova, A. (2021). Smell in Atyrau: Gag reflex and further down the chain. AZH Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://azh.kz/ru/news/view/82448
Shiferie, F. (2021). Improper disposal of face masks during COVID-19: Unheeded public health threat. The Pan African Medical Journal, 38, 366. https://doi.org/10.11604/pamj.2021.38.366.29063
Singh, N., Tang, Y., Zhang, Z., & Zheng, C. (2020). COVID-19 waste management: Effective and successful measures in Wuhan, China. Resources, Conservation, and Recycling, 163, 105071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.105071
Kazakhstan, S. (2022). Test tubes with patients’ blood were found near Nur-Sultan: The Ministry of Ecology named the perpetrators. Sputnik Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://ru.sputnik.kz/20201027/probirki-krov-patsienti-nur-sultan-minekologii-vinovnye-15303539.html
Stringer, R. (2011). Medical Waste and Human Rights. Submission to the UN Human Rights Council. Health Care without Harm Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://noharm-europe.org/sites/default/files/documents-files/1684/MedWaste_Human_Rights_Report.pdf
Stringer, R. (2021). Health care waste management towards the circular economy. IGES Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.iges.or.jp/en/pub/health-care-waste-management-towards-circular-economy/en (accessed 24 November 2022)
Tag News. (2022). 109 out of 122 enterprises for the disposal of medical waste turned out to be without a license in Kazakhstan. Tag News Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://kaztag.kz/ru/news/109-iz-122-predpriyatiy-po-utilizatsii-medotkhodov-okazalis-bez-litsenzii-v-kazakhstane
Teymourian, T., Teymoorian, T., Kowsari, E., & Ramakrishna, S. (2021). Challenges, strategies, and recommendations for the huge surge in plastic and medical waste during the global COVID-19 pandemic with circular economy approach. Materials Circular Economy, 3, 6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42824-021-00020-8
UN. (2011). Statement by Mr. Calin Georgescu, Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights. UN Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2011/10/statement-mr-calin-georgescu-special-rapporteur-toxics-and-human-rights
UNDP Kazakhstan. (2020a). UNDP and ADB join efforts to strengthen medical waste management in Kazakhstan during COVID-19 pandemic. UNDP Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.kz.undp.org/content/kazakhstan/en/home/presscenter/news/2020/july/undp-and-adb-join-efforts-to-strengthen-medical-waste-management.html?utm_source=EN&utm_medium=GSR&utm_content=US_UNDP_PaidSearch_Brand_English&utm_campaign=CENTRAL&c_src=CENTRAL&c_src2=GSR&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIrrSVj6OC9wIVo49oCR0MKQu1EAAYASAAEgIkLfD_BwE
UNDP Kazakhstan. (2020b). UNDP delivered an autoclave for medical waste disposal to a new hospital in Nur-Sultan. UNDP Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.kz.undp.org/content/kazakhstan/en/home/presscenter/announcements/2020/august/undp-delivered-an-autoclave-for-medical-waste-disposal%2D%2Dto-a-new.html
UNECE. (2019). 3rd Environmental Performance Review of Kazakhstan. UNECE Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://unece.org/DAM/env/epr/epr_studies/Synopsis/ECE.CEP.185_ENG_Synopsis.pdf
UNEP. (2020). Healthcare waste: What to do with it? UNEP Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/healthcare-waste-what-do-it
Veresha, R., Dzhuzha, A., Tychyna, D., & Dzhuzha, A. (2022). Criminological and victimological support of world and national security during quarantine measures related to the spread of acute respiratory disease COVID-19 caused by coronavirus Sars-Cov-2. Journal of Applied Security Research, in press. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361610.2022.2104106
WHO. (2022a). Global analysis of health care waste in the context of COVID-19. WHO Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240039612
WHO. (2022b). Tonnes of COVID-19 health care waste expose urgent need to improve waste management systems. WHO Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2022-tonnes-of-covid-19-health-care-waste-expose-urgent-need-to-improve-waste-management-systems#:~:text=Tens%20of%20thousands%20of%20tonnes,to%20a%20new%20WHO%20report
WHO Coronavirus. (2023). Dashboard. WHO Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://covid19.who.int/
Zhamiyeva, R., Sultanbekova, G., Balgimbekova, G., Mussin, K., Abzalbekova, M., & Kozhanov, M. (2022). Problems of the effectiveness of the implementation of international agreements in the field of waste management: The study of the experience of Kazakhstan in the context of the applicability of European legal practices. International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics, 22(1), 177–199. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-021-09549-0
Zhandybaev, K. (2018). Waste recycling: A trend or a need to improve the country. Strategy Retrieved March 13, 2022, from https://strategy2050.kz/ru/news/51543/
Zimmermann, A., & Szyca, R. (2012). Medical waste management in Poland the legal issues. Polish Journal of Environmental Studies, 21(4), 1113–1118.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Contributions
Conceptualization, Farida Zhaxybekova; data curation, Dinara Rustembekova, Farida Zhaxybekova and Akylbek Kabzhanov; formal analysis, Aitugan Abdizhami and Farida Zhaxybekova; funding acquisition, Aigul Nukusheva, Dinara Rustembekova, Farida Zhaxybekova and Akylbek Kabzhanov; investigation, Aitugan Abdizhami; methodology, Akylbek Kabzhanov; project administration, Akylbek Kabzhanov; resources, Farida Zhaxybekova; software, Dinara Rustembekova; supervision, Dinara Rustembekova; validation, Akylbek Kabzhanov; visualization, Dinara Rustembekova; writing—review and editing, Aigul Nukusheva, Aitugan Abdizhami.
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Ethical responsibilities of authors
The authors declare that the manuscript has not submitted to more than one journal for simultaneous consideration. The submitted work is original and does not have been published elsewhere in any form or language (partially or in full). The study does not split up into several parts to increase the quantity of submissions and submitted to various journals or to one journal over time. The results were presented honestly, without fabrication, falsification or inappropriate data manipulation. No data, text or theories by others are presented as if they were the author’s own.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no competing interests.
Additional information
Publisher’s Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Nukusheva, A., Abdizhami, A., Rustembekova, D. et al. Regulation of biomedical waste management in Kazakhstan during the pandemic in the context of best practices. Environ Monit Assess 195, 1179 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11794-6
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11794-6