Final answer:
Biohazardous waste includes materials exposed to disease-causing organisms, such as used needles or laboratory cultures. It must be sterilized prior to disposal to prevent health hazards.
Step-by-step explanation:
Biohazardous waste includes any material exposed to biological material that could potentially make someone sick, such as disease-causing organisms. This could include used needles that may harbor blood contaminated with disease-causing organisms, bacteria grown in a laboratory that could cause disease, and more generally any waste material that poses a risk of infection. Types of biohazardous waste can include biomedical waste, such as expired pharmaceuticals, as well as potentially infectious materials like contaminated gloves and petri dishes.
It is crucial to follow stringent safety guidelines for the disposal of biohazardous waste. According to regulatory standards, all biohazard waste must be sterilized, typically by autoclaving, before it can be safely included in the waste stream to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. This process ensures that hazardous materials do not pose a threat to public health or the environment when they are disposed of.