Browsing by Author "Adriana Castillo Trujillo"

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    Control measures for the inactivation and final disposal of biological waste generated at the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, morgue area in the local units of Soacha and Fusagasugá: discharge of wastewater into a tributary
    (UNIVERSIDAD DISTRITAL FRANCISCO JOSE DE CALDAS, 2002) ADRIANA CASTILLO TRUJILLO; MILTON HERMEL RUIS BARRAGAN; Adriana Castillo Trujillo; Milton Hermel Ruiz Barragán; Guillermo Velosa Arbeláez (director institucional); Juan Carlos Sánchez Gaitán (director académico)
    Forensic autopsy procedures generate body fluids with a high probability of containing pathogenic germs which, when mixed with water, become an effective transport medium for contaminants that reach drainage systems, posing risks to health and the environment. This study analyzed the wastewater generated by forensic necropsy procedures in the local units of Soacha and Fusagasugá between March 2001 and December 2002, showing that it contains significant amounts of body fluids considered liquids of universal precaution according to the CDC (Atlanta, 1987). To determine their microbiological characteristics, general methods were used such as isolation on solid media (McConkey, SS, Chromocoult), pure isolation of colonies and identification of microorganisms using the BBL Crystal® system for non-fermenting enterics. The qualitative results showed the presence of Escherichia coli, Vibrio metschnikovii, Citrobacter freundii, Aeromonas hydrophila, Serratia marcescens, Vibrio cholerae, Enterobacter cloacae and Klebsiella oxytoca. Based on permissible limits established in Colombian legislation for wastewater discharges, physical and chemical characteristics were evaluated with MERCK® and Hach® laboratory equipment and reagents, yielding values above acceptable levels. Variables such as corpse condition, concentration of body fluids, manner and postmortem interval of death and the forensic procedures performed influence the variation of these characteristics. Through a systematic methodology the load of pathogenic microorganisms and several physicochemical parameters of contamination were reduced, and control measures are proposed to minimize the impact of uncontrolled discharges on human health and natural resources.