TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention is directed to a chemical composition for solidifying liquid medical waste for subsequent disposal purposes and, more particularly, to a chemical composition which both solidifies and reduces the number of infectious organisms in liquid medical waste, such as blood and other body fluids, for subsequent disposal purposes.

THE PRIOR ART Various chemical compositions are available for solidifying liquid medical waste, such as blood and other body fluids, for subsequent disposal. The solidification of the medical waste insures containment of such waste, makes the waste easier to handle, prevents cross-contamination through spills and minimizes leakage during transportation of the solidified waste to the disposal location. The chemical compositions that are presently available for solidifying liquid medical waste do not, however, contain an agent(s) ^' to reduce the number of infectious organisms in the waste. The utilization of such an agent would decrease the potential of personnel being exposed to infectious fluids during the waste clean-up process and the subsequent transportation of the waste to the waste disposal site, and would also minimize cross-contamination by reducing spillage and the possibility of environmental contamination at the disposal location.

In view of the foregoing, it has become desirable to develop a chemical composition which rapidly solidifies liquid medical waste and reduces the number of infectious organisms in same during the solidification process, thus making the resulting solidified waste easier to dispose of while reducing the possibility of personnel being exposed to

infectious fluids during the disposal process, and minimizing any environmental contamination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the problems associated with the prior art approaches for disposing of liquid medical waste and other problems by providing a chemical composition which solidifies the medical waste and reduces the number of infectious organisms in same during the solidification process. The composition comprises a solidifying agent, a microbicidal agent, a buffering agent and may include agents to enhance the release of bioactive components. When the chemical composition is applied to liquid medical waste, the solidifying agent rapidly solidifies the waste while the microbicidal agent simultaneously reduces the number of infectious organisms in same. The end result is that the solidified medical waste can be easily handled for disposal purposes, the personnel responsible for disposing the solidified waste have a much lower risk of being exposed to infectious fluids, and cross-contamination through spills and environmental contamination at the disposal site are minimized.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention is directed to a chemical composition which minimizes exposure of individuals to infectious agents present in liquid medical wastes, such as blood and other bodily fluids, by solidifying and reducing the number of infectious organisms in same for disposal purposes. Solidification (absorption) of the waste insures containment of same, makes handling of waste an easier task, prevents cross-contamination through spills and minimizes leakage during transportation of the solidified waste to the disposal site. The antimicrobial process reduces the number or level of infectious organisms in the waste material. In effect, the antimicrobial process minimizes the exposure of personnel to infectious agents during the clean-up process and the subsequent transportation of the waste

to the disposal site, and minimizes any resulting environmental contamination at the disposal location.

Solidification of the liquid waste and the antimicrobial treatment of same is accomplished by combining two chemical compounds — a solidifying agent and a fast acting microbicidal agent, both in the form of a fine powder. The solidifying agent can be a polymeric compound, frequently referred to as a superabsorbent compound. Several polymeric compounds which belong to this group include cross-linked acrylics, cross-linked glycolates, starch-graft polymers and cellulose esters. A common feature of these compounds is their ability to absorb aqueous fluids in an amount which exceeds ten times the initial dry weight of the compound. The microbicidal agent is typically a chemical compound which, when in contact with an aqueous medium, releases a chemical antimicrobial agent to the medium. Examples of such compounds are povidone-iodine complex (releases iodine) and sodium hypocholorite (releases chlorine). Solutions of the iodophor povidone-iodine (PVP-I) have been used extensively as a skin disinfectant in hospital use. The primary advantages of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) over other available microbicidal agents are that PVP-I has a wide microbicidal spectrum, is non-irritating to skin, is effective in the presence of organic soil (body fluids), has a relatively low toxicity to humans when in an antimicrobial concentration, is non-mutagenic, does not release an offensive odor, is environmentally safe, and is available in highly soluble powdered form. In addition, it has been found that the addition of povidone-iodine (PVP-I) to a polymeric solidifying agent improves the solidifying action of the solidifying agent, i.e. , it decreases the amount of time required to solidify medical waste. PVP-I powder is manufactured by several chemical manufacturers, such as BASF and NAPP Technologies, Inc. , and its chemical structure is illustrated as follows:

Povidone-iodine

The present invention is directed to a chemical composition comprising a liquid solidifying agent (such as an acrylic polymer), a microbicidal agent, and possibly a buffering agent for the adjustment pH to enhance activity of the microbicidal agent and agents to enhance the release of bioactive components.

Examples of such microbicidal agents, which would have a concentration range from 0.05 to about 25 % , are as follows:

Chlorine Releasing Agents

Chloramine T

Dichloramine

Chlorinated cyanurics (Trichloro isocyanuric acid)

Trichloro melamimn

Hypochlorites (Calcium hypochlorate, Sodium hypochlorite)

Iodine and Iodine Releasing Agents

Polyvinyl pyrrolidone - iodine complex (PVP-I)

Aldehyde Releasing Agents

5 Paraformaldehyde

Trimethylol-nitro-methane

Bronopol

C-methylols

2-bromo-2nitro-propanl-ol

10 Hexamine

Urotropin Dazonet

15 Aldehyde and Amine Releasing

2,2,3-Trichloro-N hydroxymethyl -propionamide

N-hydroxymethyl ureas

N-hydroxymethyl-N-methyl thiourea

20

Phenol ics

Phenol 25 Xylenol

2 Benzylphenol

4 Benzylphenol p-tetraphenylphenol

30

Bisphenols

Bisphenol A Dichlorophen

35

Halogenated Alylphenols

pchloro m cresol (PCMB) 40 PCMC

DCMX 4 chlorothymol

45

Alkylphenols

OPP

PPP ( 4 phenyl phenol)

Nitrophenols

10 4 nitrophenol

Benzoates

₁₅ Benzoic acid

Salicylic acid p-hydroxy benzoates (PHBA)

20 Amides

2-IodacetamideE 2-Chloracetamide

25

Carbamates

IPCB

Dibenzamidines 30 Dibromopropamide

Quaternary Ammonium Salts

35 Chlorohexadine

Polyhexadine (PHMB)

Quatazine

40 Or anometalics

OPBA

PMA

PMD

₄ 5 TBTB

Examples of buffering agents, which could be used and would have a concentration range from 0.01 to 5 %, to adjust pH to enhance activity of the microbicidal agent are: borates citrates acetates

Examples of agents, which could be used and would have a concentration range from 0.01 to 5 % , to enhance the release of bioactive components are as follows: iodates (potassium iodate, sodium iodate)

Certain modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing. It should be understood that all such modifications and improvements have been deleted herein for the sake of conciseness and readibility, but are properly within the scope of the following claims.