Development of an incinerator for the hygienic disposal of sanitary pads in female student hostels.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i3.2539Keywords:
Sanitary pads, Hygienic disposal, Waste management, Heat transfer, Environmental controlAbstract
Background:
Improperly disposed of used sanitary pads in female student hostels pose serious health, environmental, and sanitation challenges, including the spread of infections , offensive odors and blockages in sewage systems. Despite the importance of menstrual hygiene management, many institutions have a lack of separate and hygienic sanitary waste disposal systems.
Methodology:
The proposed work focuses on the design, fabrication and performance evaluation of a compact incinerator for hygienic disposal of sanitary pads in female hostels. Due to its clean combustion, availability, and controllability, the incinerator is designed to operate using Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as the primary fuel. The system consists of a cylindrical combustion chamber lined with refractory fiber, an LPG burner with controlled ignition, a chimney for safe exhaust of flue gases, and a removable ash collection tray.
Results:
Thermal analysis showed that the incinerator can achieve operating temperatures in the range of 850 - 1250°C, well above the auto-ignition temperature of rayon, the major constituent of sanitary pads. Energy requirement calculations also showed that about 0.006 kg of LPG per cycle is adequate to completely incinerate 30-50 pieces of sanitary pads. Performance evaluation realized a mass reduction efficiency of more than 95%, with full burn achieved in about 30-40 minutes per cycle. The resultant ash was fine, sterile, and nontoxic, making up less than 5% of the original waste mass. Observations during testing revealed minimal visible smoke and odor, indicative of environmentally acceptable emission characteristics in accordance with the World Health Organization guidelines for small-scale incineration systems.
Conclusion:
Developed incinerator provides a low-cost, safe, and environmentally friendly solution for sanitary pad disposal that can be utilized to enhance hygiene, privacy, and waste management practices.
Recommendation:
The design is well-suited for adaptation and deployment in other institutional and community settings, improving public health and promoting sustainable sanitation.
References
World Health Organization (WHO). 2014. Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO Press.
World Health Organization (WHO). 2014. Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO Press.
World Health Organization (WHO). 2014. Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO Press.
World Health Organization (WHO). 2014. Elimination of Asbestos-Related Diseases. Geneva: WHO Press.
Central Pollution Control Board. (2018). Guidelines for management of sanitary waste. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Central Pollution Control Board. (2018). Guidelines for management of sanitary waste. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
Central Pollution Control Board. (2018). Guidelines for management of sanitary waste. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India.
WaterAid. (2012). Is menstrual hygiene and management an issue for adolescent school girls? A comparative study of four schools in different settings of Nepal. London: WaterAid.
WaterAid. (2012). Is menstrual hygiene and management an issue for adolescent school girls? A comparative study of four schools in different settings of Nepal. London: WaterAid.
WaterAid. (2012). Is menstrual hygiene and management an issue for adolescent school girls? A comparative study of four schools in different settings of Nepal. London: WaterAid.
WaterAid. (2012). Is menstrual hygiene and management an issue for adolescent school girls? A comparative study of four schools in different settings of Nepal. London: WaterAid.
United Nations Environment Programme. (2021). Addressing the environmental impact of menstrual products. Nairobi: UNEP.
World Health Organization, & UNICEF. (2019). WASH in health care facilities: Global baseline report 2019. Geneva: WHO.
UNICEF. (2019). Guidance on menstrual health and hygiene. New York: UNICEF.
World Bank. (2018). Menstrual hygiene management enables women and girls to reach their full potential. Washington, DC: World Bank.
World Health Organization, & UNICEF. (2019). WASH in health care facilities: Global baseline report 2019. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization, & UNICEF. (2020). State of the world’s sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization, & UNICEF. (2020). State of the world’s sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization, & UNICEF. (2020). State of the world’s sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies. Geneva: WHO.
World Health Organization, & UNICEF. (2020). State of the world’s sanitation: An urgent call to transform sanitation for better health, environments, economies and societies. Geneva: WHO.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Introduction to program evaluation for public health programs: A self-study guide. Atlanta, GA: CDC.
Mishra, S., & Patel, D. (2018). Development of a low-cost sanitary pad disposal incinerator. International Journal of Environmental Science, 6(2), 12-18.
Mishra, S., & Patel, D. (2018). Development of a low-cost sanitary pad disposal incinerator. International Journal of Environmental Science, 6(2), 12-18.
Mishra, S., & Patel, D. (2018). Development of a low-cost sanitary pad disposal incinerator. International Journal of Environmental Science, 7(4), 23-29.
Mishra, S., & Patel, D. (2018). Development of a low-cost sanitary pad disposal incinerator. International Journal of Environmental Science, 6(2), 28-32.
Mishra, R., Singh, D., & Rajesh, P. (2018). Design and fabrication of a low-cost incinerator for sanitary waste disposal. International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET), 5(3), 1283–1287.
George, R. (2013). Breaking the silence: Menstrual hygiene management in schools in India. WaterAid India.
Dasgupta, A., & Sarkar, M. (2008). Menstrual hygiene: How hygienic is the adolescent girl? Indian Journal of Community Medicine, 33(2), 77–80. https://doi.org/10.4103/0970-0218.40872
Callister, W. D., & Rethwisch, D. G. (2018). Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction. Wiley.
Patel, D., & Mishra, S. (2018). Development of a low-cost sanitary pad disposal incinerator. International Journal of Environmental Science, 6(2), 45-52.
National Academy of Engineering. (2004). The engineer of 2020: Visions of engineering in the new century. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Engineering for Sustainable Development. Royal Academy of Engineering. (2005). Engineering for sustainable development: Guiding principles. London: RAE.
World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Michael F. Ashby. (2017). Materials selection in mechanical design (5th ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
World Health Organization. (2014). Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO.
UNICEF. (2019). Guidance on menstrual health and hygiene. New York: UNICEF.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2019). Hospital/medical/infectious waste incinerators (HMIWI) standards. Washington, DC: U.S. EPA.
World Health Organization. (2014). Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO.
Introduction to Fire Dynamics. Dougal Drysdale. (2011). An introduction to fire dynamics (3rd ed.). Wiley.
International Agency for Research on Cancer. (2012). IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans: Volume 100F – Chemical agents and related occupations. Lyon: IARC.
World Health Organization. (2014). Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Michael F. Ashby. (2017). Materials selection in mechanical design (5th ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
Combustion Engineering and Gas Utilization. Richard J. Reed. (1981). Combustion engineering and gas utilization (3rd ed.). Gulf Publishing Company.
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2019). Hospital/medical/infectious waste incinerators (HMIWI) standards. Washington, DC: U.S. EPA.
Engineering for Sustainable Development. Royal Academy of Engineering. (2005). Engineering for sustainable development: Guiding principles. London: RAE.
World Commission on Environment and Development. (1987). Our common future. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Introduction to the Thermodynamics of Materials. David R. Gaskell. (2012). Introduction to the thermodynamics of materials (5th ed.). Taylor & Francis.
American Galvanizers Association. (2019). Hot-dip galvanizing for corrosion protection: A guide to specification and inspection. Centennial, CO: AGA.
Heat and Mass Transfer: A Practical Approach. Yunus A. Çengel. (2015). Heat and mass transfer: A practical approach (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Introduction to the Thermodynamics of Materials. David R. Gaskell. (2012). Introduction to the thermodynamics of materials (5th ed.). Taylor & Francis.
World Health Organization. (2014). Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO.
An Introduction to Fire Dynamics. Dougal Drysdale. (2011). An introduction to fire dynamics (3rd ed.). Wiley.
Corrosion Engineering. Mars G. Fontana. (2005). Corrosion engineering (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill.
World Health Organization. (2014). Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO.
Materials Selection in Mechanical Design. Michael F. Ashby. (2017). Materials selection in mechanical design (5th ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann.
An Introduction to Fire Dynamics. Dougal Drysdale. (2011). An introduction to fire dynamics (3rd ed.). Wiley.
An Introduction to Fire Dynamics. Dougal Drysdale. (2011). An introduction to fire dynamics (3rd ed.). Wiley.
An Introduction to Fire Dynamics. Dougal Drysdale. (2011). An introduction to fire dynamics (3rd ed.). Wiley.
An Introduction to Fire Dynamics. Dougal Drysdale. (2011). An introduction to fire dynamics (3rd ed.). Wiley.
World Health Organization. (2014). Safe management of wastes from health-care activities (2nd ed.). Geneva: WHO.
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ekeh Paul Uzochukwu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
