Sunday, May 15, 2011

What You Need To Know About X-ray Disposal

By Mark S. Walker


Unlike most disposal methods, x-ray film disposal isn't as simple as shredding. X-ray films contain amounts of silver that may be dangerous to the environment and health. Careless disposal of x-ray films is punishable by law, thus, most facilities that use x-ray turn to proper disposal facilities that may also offer silver recovery from film.

Health laws govern the punishment of establishments and facilities that fail to observe safety x-ray disposal procedures. Silver can be highly dangerous if it is accidentally absorbed underground and reaches the waterways. However, this is not rare. Silver processing is offered by numerous facilities dealing with film disposal. In fact, most document management companies offer this service, since they are usually the ones with the most experience in the field.

Aside from removing potential legal ramifications, proper x-ray film disposal also provides an additional source of income to facilities that provide x-ray services. A quarter of the worldwide silver needs come from recycling, 75% of which come from films. This makes selling recovered silver a viable source of income. Disposal facilities are only paid for the disposal and recycling, thus, the silver recovered from the films are either sent back to the client or are bought by the disposal facility.

There are three common methods used for x-ray film disposal. These are direct burning of the films, oxidizing the film's silver component, or removing the silver through exposure to different solutions. In situations where silver recovery from film is important, the last two methods are commonly used since burning doesn't allow silver to be recovered, and it is also a major cause of pollution.

Once the silver has been removed from the film, the film is cleansed as plastic and subsequently recycled. Meanwhile, the solution that contains the silver undergoes a different process to recover and transform the silver into solid form. In this phase, the silver can be recycled for use in new x-rays.

Disposal facilities dealing with x-ray films have to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations in terms of correct processing. This means that these facilities must have the necessary equipment, location, and processes to ensure that no hazardous elements are leaked to the environment. In fact, most of these facilities provide clients with insurance from any form of environmental liability.

However, not all film disposal facilities have systems for silver recovery. In these cases, removed silver from the films are tagged as hazardous waste and sent for proper disposal. This removes the possibility of the silver leaking and affecting the environment.

X-ray disposal isn't a simple thing. There are lots of factors and options to consider, whether you want the silver to be recovered or not. If you want to get additional information about film disposal in general, or if you want to consult with the nearest disposal facility near you, just visit http://www.shreddingservices4.com.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment