What is an approved method for treating waste containing live microorganisms?

• A. Filtration
• B. Autoclaving
• C. UV exposure
• D. Acidification

Answer: (B)

To safely dispose of waste containing live microorganisms, you need a method that reliably destroys all forms of life, including hardy spores. Autoclaving achieves this by using saturated steam under pressure to reach about 121°C for a typical cycle of 15–20 minutes. The combination of heat and moisture rapidly denatures proteins and damages nucleic acids, yielding sterile waste that can be disposed of safely. It’s an approved, standard method because it provides validated, repeatable sterilization applicable to a wide range of waste, both liquids and solids, and is required by biosafety and waste-disposal regulations. Filtration removes microbes from liquids but doesn’t kill them and can miss organisms, UV exposure has limited penetration and won’t reliably sterilize porous or opaque waste, and acidification may inhibit growth without guaranteeing destruction of spores or resistant organisms.