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The Matrix System was developed in Australia by Matrix Technology Pty. Ltd. of Cairns, Queensland. It is a proprietary technology patented in the United States of America. The end product is inert, unrecognisable and is beneficial to landfill. There is about a 99.99% inactivation of pathogens after a residence time of five minutes with a continuing effect thereafter. The end product is not unpleasant and can be stored for as long as necessary before disposal at landfill.
Regulated medical waste arrives at the facility in various sized bins. The bins are weighed and recorded by a PLC to ensure that waste feed rates to the plant match the requirements of downstream equipment. Once fed into the feedhopper, the waste is drawn into the shredder. Liquids removed from the process downstream are recycled back to the dump hopper, and the supply of inputs is minimised. The dump hopper is kept at slightly negative pressure by fans withdrawing air from the headspace through HEPA filters. Alkaline earths are added to the shredded medical waste at a specific rate related to the weight of the waste prior to the whole admixture being hydrated and homogenised in a mixer unit. While the waste is held for a predetermined time in the mixer unit, the alkaline earth reacts with the moist shredded waste to render the waste non-hazardous and non-infectious. A mechanical screw then dewaters the treated waste. Excess liquid is fed back into the front of the process at the dump hopper, to offset the use of fresh inputs. The process essentially achieves zero discharge to sewer, making it an environmentally friendly and economical technology. The treated shredded waste is then transported to an approved landfill.
This process has been demonstrated to achieve rigorous US regulations for the treatment of clinical waste (that is 6 Log 10 reduction in vegetative bacteria and a 4 Log 10 reduction in Bacillus spores).
HEPA filters are located on the feed hopper and the mixer and conveyor system. The process residence time is controlled by the rate of waste supplied to the shredder.
Continuous monitoring of pH and temperature is recorded by the PLC. Other testing is carried out in accordance with the requirements of the regulators.