Ozone System versus STI Waste Treatment Systems

  • Occupational exposure to ozone is controlled by NIOSH/OSHA standards. It is very detrimental to lungs as the moist linings of the lungs are particularly attacked by the corrosive nature of ozone. The STI process uses steam to treat the waste.
  • Ozone does revert back to oxygen eventually, but the half-life is 30 minutes, followed by successive additional half-lives, each with 15 minute periods. Hence it takes about an hour to revert to O2. Occupational exposure to ozone gas remains a concern for up to 60 minutes after operation of the system.
  • Ozone is a gas. It is considered an extreme oxidant, and as such, could contribute to a fuel/air mixture in a fire. Ozone (O3) is very corrosive on mild steel metals and aluminum, oxidizing and rusting metallic surfaces.
  • Because ozone is a gas, syringes, vials, test tubes and other sealed articles that escape the shredding process will not allow the gas to penetrate and inactivate organisms inside of these devices. Shredders are not perfect devices. The STI unit uses moist steam heat to decontaminate surfaces, including entire syringes or test tubes that might escape the shredding process. We have tested the STI Waste Treatment System for inactivation of Bacillus spores inside of entirely sealed 60cc syringes, with a greater than 6LOG10 inactivation of the Bacillus spores. Ozone treatment systems will fail this test every time. The risk and liability of generators using the ozone/shredding process may be high.
  • The ozone treatment process does not dehydrate the waste. The STI process dehydrates the waste, limiting landfill costs.
  • Some ozone systems do not address the potential for airborne contaminants in their loading hopper (potential exposure hazard to health and safety of hospital staff) as they do not incorporate any type of negative pressure/HEPA filtration system. The STI Waste Treatment System utilizes a negative pressure feature in conjunction with 99.97% efficient HEPA filtration.
  • Most ozone systems do NOT incorporate an integral ram to assist in the shredding process. The STI utilizes an integral ram above the shredding chamber to assure introduction of sharps containers and other hard to shred containers.
  • Ozone systems do NOT include integral wheelie bin cleaning systems, calling for additional labor to clean collection bins. Fully automated wheelie bin cleaning is available on all STI units.
  • On most ozone systems, the shredded waste falls onto the ground when the compactor is separated from the ozone treatment system. STI technology incorporates a self-contained top-loading compactor which allows for clean operation without spillage of treated wastes.
  • Ozone treatment systems are relatively new with very little operating history or throughput history. The STI Waste Treatment System has successfully treated in excess of two billion pounds of regulated medical waste worldwide.