News

The hazardous waste management during Covid-19: a series of focused webinars organized by Cnr-Scitec

12/01/2021

The project logo
The project logo

The current worldwide health emergency forced the government institutions to pay a special attention to the most recent methods for a correct identification, handling, management and disposal of hazardous waste materials generated in production sites potentially affected by the Sars-CoV-2 pathogen. A focus is also necessary on best practices for a safe management of contaminated streams of waste, that have rapidly grown at global level in the last months, due to the dramatic diffusion of the pandemic.

The topic is pivotal for the international project “Strengthening chemical and biological waste management in Central Asia countries for improved security and safety risk mitigation” (Cabichem, Project 65), granted by the European Union’s Centers of Excellence for the prevention, protection, and mitigation against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (Cbrn). The Institute of Science and Chemical Technologies “Giulio Natta” of the National Research Council – Cnr-Scitec is partner of the project along with five central Asia Countries Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan.

Italian experts from Cnr-Scitec, which coordinates Working Package 4, present a webinar training course titled “Hazardous waste management during Covid-19 health emergency” to professionals and scientists from governmental institutions and national agencies of the 5 Asian partner countries. Prevention and protection strategies for the safe handling and treatment of hazardous solid and liquid waste is the main topics of the webinars. 

The 12-hour-long training session will take place in a fully-remote mode, to comply with the current international strict travel limitations. The course also includes training modules on sanitation chemical solutions to mitigate the diffusion of the novel coronavirus on waste materials, the use of adequate Personal Protective Equipment to operate in Covid-19-contaminated areas and biosafety aspects linked to this still poorly-known pathogenic agent. After the first session addressed to Uzbekistan (30 November- 1 December), other webinar sessions are planned with Kyrgyzstan (17-18 December 2020), Pakistan (11-12 January 2021), Afghanistan (26-27 January 2021) and Mongolia (8-9 February 2021).

The training courses are coordinated by Cnr-Scitec with Matteo Guidotti, Stefano Econdi, Laura Polito and Raffaella Soave as senior experts, in collaboration with Massimo Ranghieri from Formit Foundation in Rome, the National Focal Points of the Central Asia countries and the Regional Secretariat of the Cbrn Risk Mitigation Centers of Excellence initiative.

Per informazioni:
Matteo Guidotti
Cnr - Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie Chimiche "Giulio Natta"
Via C. Golgi 19, 20133, Milano
matteo.guidotti@cnr.it

Vedi anche: