Which waste item should be disposed of in a red biohazard bag due to contamination with blood or bodily fluids?

• A. Paper towels used to wipe up a blood spill.
• B. Plastic wrap from a manicure tray.
• C. A used disposable glove contaminated with blood.
• D. A clean cotton ball not touched by fluids.

Answer: (C)

Red biohazard bags are reserved for waste that may be infectious because it’s contaminated with blood or bodily fluids. A used disposable glove that has been in contact with blood is the clearest example: the glove is directly contaminated and cannot be safely reused, so it should be sealed in a red bag to prevent exposure to others. The other items aren’t necessarily contaminated in this scenario—a clean cotton ball isn’t touched by fluids, and the plastic wrap from a tray isn’t in contact with blood—so they don’t require the red-bag disposal. Paper towels used to wipe up a blood spill would be contaminated too, but the glove represents the most straightforward, guaranteed contaminated item in everyday practice.