Effects of microwave radiation on micro-organisms in selected materials from healthcare waste

This study confirms that microwave treatment of healthcare waste can significantly reduce the number of bacteria in a given sample. The bacterial reduction with duration of the application of radiation and the power of radiation has been quantified. In contrast to the previous experiments that showed mid 30 °C as favourable temperature range for the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, this study depicts that the bacteria are destroyed even at such temperatures, in the application of microwaves. Thus, it confirms that power of microwaves is an equally dominating factor as the duration of application and the temperature attained by the material. The empirical findings combined with SEM images indicate that there is a marked difference in the resistance against microwave radiation between G+ (S. aureus) and G− (E. coli) bacteria, which may be due to the convoluted cell wall of G+ (S. aureus) bacteria, which is much stronger and thicker than that of G− for (E. coli) bacteria. Thus, S. aureus is considered to be more resistant and less sensitive to microwave radiation than E. coli. The outcomes support the adoption of microwave technologies for the treatment and disinfection of healthcare waste.