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ABSTRACT
Introduction. Reusing plastic bottles could reduce pollution by plastic waste and be a source of income. However, the reuse of plastic bottles coming from some settings such as hospitals could be at risk. This study aimed at describing the reuse and recovery of these bottles at the Yaoundé Central Hospital in Cameroon, to assess the health risks associated to these practices. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted within the Yaoundé Central Hospital, using questionnaires for patients, care givers and bottles’ collectors, and observation grids. Participants received detailed information about the study and were proposed a free and anonymous consent prior to their inclusion. Results. Among 300 participants included, 83.3% were patients, 13.3% were caregivers and 3.3% were bottles’ collectors. In total, 26% of the patients admitted reusing plastic bottles as foodstuffs containers and urinals, 20% of caregivers reused them as safety boxes or puncture fluid collectors, and 20% of collectors reported they only rinse bottles with water before selling them to the markets, where they serve as foodstuffs containers. Conclusion. Although generally considered as similar to household waste, plastic bottles coming from hospitals could be harmful for patients, care givers, bottles collectors and the large population due to improper reuse practices. Thus, special attention should be paid to these medical wastes in order to reduce their health risk.


RÉSUMÉ
Introduction. La réutilisation des bouteilles plastiques peut réduire la pollution par les déchets plastiques et constituer une source de revenus. Cependant, la réutilisation de bouteilles provenant de certains endroits tels que les hôpitaux pourrait être préjudiciable. Cette étude visait à décrire la réutilisation et la récupération de ces bouteilles à l'Hôpital Central de Yaoundé, afin d’estimer les risques sanitaires associés à ces pratiques. Matériels et méthodes. Une étude transversale a été menée au sein de l'Hôpital Central de Yaoundé, à l'aide de questionnaires destinés aux patients, aux soignants et aux récupérateurs de bouteilles, et de grilles d'observation. Les participants ont reçu des informations détaillées sur l'étude et un consentement libre et anonyme a été requis avant leur inclusion. Résultats. Parmi les 300 participants, 83,3% étaient des patients, 13,3% des soignants et 3,3% des collecteurs. Au total, 26 % des patients ont admis réutiliser les bouteilles plastiques comme contenants alimentaires et comme urinoirs, 20% des soignants les réutilisaient comme boîtes de sécurité ou collecteurs de liquides de ponction, et 20% de collecteurs ont déclaré juste les rincer à l’eau avant de les vendre dans les marchés pour servir de contenants alimentaires. Conclusion. Bien que considérées comme assimilables aux déchets ménagers, les bouteilles plastiques provenant des hôpitaux pourraient être nocives pour les patients, les soignants, les collecteurs et la population en raison de pratiques de réutilisation inappropriées. Une attention particulière devrait donc être portée à ces déchets médicaux afin de réduire leur risque pour la santé.

Keywords

Reuse Plastic bottles Hospital Health risks

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Tatiana, M., Suh Nchang, A., Abba-Kabir, H., Neth, G., Amayene, C. M., Abossolo, A., Mbono Samba, E., & Essi, M.-J. (2022). Reuse of Plastic Bottles Coming from the Yaoundé Central Hospital and Potential Health Risks. HEALTH SCIENCES AND DISEASE, 23(10). https://doi.org/10.5281/hsd.v23i10.3921
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