Last week, I was invited by the BBC to provide comment on an investigative news story from Lahore where untreated clinical wastes were passed directly to waste scavengers who sorted plastics, inevitably contaminated with blood and who knows what else, for reprocessing as plastic utensils and drinking straws.

The full story including the original video report has been recycled here.

It’s totally inappropriate, of course, and has its foundations in poverty and corruption together with a lack of regulation and education. Thus, the causes run deep and would not be solved overnight.

Does it matter? You will notice that the focus of the report is of the potential for harm for from the plastic products manufactured from this unpleasant trade. Not so, since the washing of incoming fragmented plastic waste and subsequent heating temperatures for meting and reforming would effectively ‘sterilise’ – more accurately decontaminate – the plastic and render it relatively free from any residual risk.

The impact of chemical contamination is less certain, and the environmental impact of the discarded wash waters is unknown but probably significant. If no particular chemical hazard remains it will have a high BOD and COD and will be polluting for whichever stream or culvert into which it is discharged.

But the context of biological contamination – of an infection risk – is the focus for reporters who want to make a story. Of course, the first reaction is one of revolt. And of the possible infection risk? Probably not, since the materials have been washed and heated, and are dry. But I’d be concerned about the cleanliness of the hands of those packaging newly manufactured products, and of course of the health of those charged with sorting the original untreated clinical wastes who are at great risk of injury and infection.