Bishop Clinical Chemistry Practice Test

Steam sterilization decontaminates microbiologic waste by exposing it to saturated steam under pressure, which raises temperatures high enough to kill all viable microorganisms, including spores. In practice, waste is autoclaved at about 121°C for 15–20 minutes (adjusted for load and material) to ensure complete inactivation before disposal. This step removes the biohazard risk and allows safe handling and disposal according to facility policy. Direct disposal by sewer or burial without decontamination could release infectious material into the environment, and while incineration is a disposal option in some settings, the described and standard pre-disposal step is steam sterilization.