Guidance For Disposal of Laboratory Chemical Wastes: Chemical Waste Is A

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Chemical waste is a waste that is made from harmful chemicals (mostly produced by large

factories). Chemical waste may fall under regulations such as COSHH in the United Kingdom, or
the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in the United States. In the
U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA), as well as state and local regulations also regulate chemical use and
disposal.[1] Chemical waste may or may not be classed as hazardous waste. A chemical
hazardous waste is a solid, liquid, or gaseous material that displays either a “Hazardous
Characteristic” or is specifically “listed” by name as a hazardous waste. There are four
characteristics chemical wastes may have to be considered as hazardous. These are
Ignitability, Corrosivity, Reactivity, and Toxicity. This type of hazardous waste must be
categorized as to its identity, constituents, and hazards so that it may be safely handled and
managed.[2] Chemical waste is a broad term and encompasses many types of materials. Consult
the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), Product Data Sheet or Label for a list of constituents.
These sources should state whether this chemical waste is a waste that needs special disposal.[3]

Contents

 1Guidance for Disposal of Laboratory Chemical Wastes


 2Chemical Compatibility Guideline
o 2.1Container compatibility
 3Laboratory waste containers
o 3.1Packaging[9]
o 3.2Labelling
o 3.3Storage
 4Mapping of chemical waste in the United States
 5Chemical waste in Canadian aquaculture
 6Uranium in Ground and Surface Water in Canada
 7See also
 8References
 9Further reading
 10External links

Guidance for Disposal of Laboratory Chemical


Wastes[edit]
In the laboratory, chemical wastes are usually segregated on-site into appropriate waste carboys,
and disposed by a specialist contractor in order to meet safety, health, and legislative
requirements.
Chemical waste category that should be followed for proper packaging, labelling, and disposal of chemical
waste.

Innocuous aqueous waste (such as solutions of sodium chloride) may be poured down the sink.
Some chemicals are washed down with excess water.[3] This includes: concentrated and
dilute acids and alkalis, harmless soluble inorganic salts (all drying agents), alcohols containing
salts, hypochlorite solutions, fine (tlc grade) silica and alumina. Aqueous waste containing toxic
compounds are collected separately.
Waste elemental mercury, spent acids and bases may be collected separately for recycling.
Waste organic solvents are separated into chlorinated and non-chlorinated solvent waste.
Chlorinated solvent waste is usually incinerated at high temperature to minimize the formation
of dioxins.[4][5] Non-chlorinated solvent waste can be burned for energy recovery.
In contrast to this, chemical materials on the "Red List" should never be washed down a drain.
This list includes:[3] compounds with transitional metals, biocides, cyanides, mineral
oils and hydrocarbons, poisonous organosilicon compounds, metal
phosphides, phosphorus element, and fluorides and nitrites.
Moreover, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prohibits disposing certain materials
down any UVM drain.[6] Including flammable liquids, liquids capable of causing damage to
wastewater facilities (this can be determined by the pH), highly viscous materials capable of
causing an obstruction in the wastewater system, radioactive materials, materials that have or
create a strong odor, wastewater capable of significantly raising the temperature of the system,
and pharmaceuticals or endocrine disruptors.
Broken glassware are usually collected in plastic-lined cardboard boxes for landfilling. Due to
contamination, they are usually not suitable for recycling. Similarly, used hypodermic needles are
collected as sharps and are incinerated as medical waste.

Chemical Compatibility Guideline [edit]


Many chemicals may react adversely when combined. It is recommended that incompatible
chemicals be stored in separate areas of the lab.[7]
Acids should be separated from alkalis, metals, cyanides, sulfides, azides, phosphides,
and oxidizers. The reason being, when combined acids with these type of compounds,
violent exothermic reaction can occur possibly causing flammable gas, and in some
cases explosions.
Oxidizers should be separated from acids, organic materials, metals, reducing agents,
and ammonia. This is because when combined oxidizers with these type of compounds,
inflammable, and sometimes toxic compounds can occur.

Container compatibility[edit]
When disposing hazardous laboratory chemical waste, chemical compatibility must be
considered. For safe disposal, the container must be chemically compatible with the material it
will hold. Chemicals must not react with, weaken, or dissolve the container or
lid. Acids or bases should not be stored in metal. Hydrofluoric acid should not store
in glass. Gasoline (solvents) should not store or transport in lightweight polyethylene containers
such as milk jugs. Moreover, the Chemical Compatibility Guidelines should be considered for
more detailed information.[8]

Laboratory waste containers[edit]


Packaging, labelling, and storage are the three requirements for disposing chemical waste.

Packaging [edit] [9]


How to properly label, package, and store chemical waste safely.

For packaging, chemical liquid waste containers should only be filled up to 75% capacity to allow
for vapour expansion and to reduce potential spills which could occur from moving overfilled
containers. Container material must be compatible with the stored hazardous waste. Finally,
wastes must not be packaged in containers that improperly identify other nonexisting hazards.
In addition to the general packaging requirements mentioned above, incompatible materials
should never be mixed together in a single container. Wastes must be stored in containers
compatible with the chemicals stored as mentioned in the container compatibility
section. Solvent safety cans should be used to collect and temporarily store large volumes (10–
20 litres) of flammable organic waste solvents, precipitates, solids or other non-fluid wastes
should not be mixed into safety cans.

Labelling[edit]
Label all containers with the group name from the chemical waste category and an itemized list
of the contents. All chemicals or anything contaminated with chemicals posing a significant
hazard. All waste must be appropriately packaged.[10]

Storage[edit]
When storing chemical wastes, the containers must be in good condition and should remain
closed unless waste is being added. Hazardous waste must be stored safely prior to removal
from the laboratory and should not be allowed to accumulate.[9] Container should be sturdy and
leakproof, also has to be labeled.[11] All liquid waste must be stored in leakproof containers with a
screw- top or other secure lid. Snap caps, mis-sized caps, parafilm and other loose fitting lids are
not acceptable. If necessary, transfer waste material to a container that can be securely closed.
Keep waste containers closed except when adding waste. Secondary containment should be in
place to capture spills and leaks from the primary container, segregate incompatible hazardous
wastes, such as acids and bases.[12]

Mapping of chemical waste in the United States[edit]


TOXMAP is a Geographic Information System (GIS) from the Division of Specialized Information
Services[13] of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) that uses maps of the United
States to help users visually explore data from the United States Environmental Protection
Agency's (EPA) Toxics Release Inventory and Superfund Basic Research Programs. TOXMAP
is a resource funded by the US Federal Government. TOXMAP's chemical and environmental
health information is taken from NLM's Toxicology Data Network (TOXNET)[14] and PubMed, and
from other authoritative sources.

Chemical waste in Canadian aquaculture[edit]


Chemical waste in our oceans is becoming a major issue for marine life. There have been many
studies conducted to try and prove the effects of chemicals in our oceans. In Canada, many of
the studies concentrated on the Atlantic provinces, where fishing and aquaculture are an
important part of the economy. In New Brunswick, a study was done on the sea urchin in an
attempt to identify the effects of toxic and chemical waste on life beneath the ocean, specifically
the waste from salmon farms. Sea urchins were used to check the levels of metals in the
environment. It is advantageous to use green sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis),
because they are widely distributed, abundant in many locations, and easily accessible. By
investigating the concentrations of metals in the green sea urchins, the impacts of chemicals
from salmon aquaculture activity could be assessed and detected. Samples were taken at 25-
metre intervals along a transect in the direction of the main tidal flow. The study found that there
was impacts to at least 75 m based on the intestine metal concentrations. So, based on this
study, it is clear that the metals are contaminating the ocean and negatively affecting aquatic life.

A green sea urchin (Strongylocentrotus droebacheinsis)

Uranium in Ground and Surface Water in Canada[edit]


Another issue regarding chemical waste is the potential risk of surface and groundwater
contamination by the heavy metals and radionuclides leached from uranium waste-rock piles
(UWRP) A Radionuclide is an atom that has excess nuclear energy, making it unstable. Uranium
waste-rock piles refers to Uranium mining, which is the process of extraction of uranium ore from
the ground. An example of such threats is in Saskatchewan, Uranium mining and ore processing
(milling) can pose a threat to the environment. In open pit mining, large amounts of materials are
excavated and disposed of in waste-rock piles. Waste-rock piles from the Uranium
mining industry can contain several heavy metals and contaminants that may become mobile
under certain conditions. Environmental contaminants may include acid mine drainage, higher
concentrations of radionuclides, and non-radioactive metals/metalloids (i.e. As, Mo, Ni, Cu, Zn).
The leachability of heavy metals and radionuclide from UWRP plays a significant role in
determining their potential environmental risks to surrounding surface and groundwater.
Substantial differences in the solid-phase partitioning and chemical leachability of Ni and U were
observed in the investigated UWRP lithological materials and background organic-rich lake
sediment. For Instance, in the uranium-mining district of Northern Saskatchewan, Canada, the
sequential extraction results showed that a significant amount of Ni (Nickel) was present in the
non-labile residual fraction, while Uranium was mostly distributed in the moderately labile
fractions. Although Nickel was much less labile than Uranium, the observed Nickel exceeded
Uranium concentrations in leaching. The observed Nickel and Uranium concentrations were
relatively high in the underlying organic-rich lake sediment. Expressed as the percentage of total
metal content, potential leachability decreased in the order U > Ni. Data suggest that these
elements could potentially migrate to the water table below the UWRP. Detailed information
regarding the solid-phase distribution of contaminants in the UWRP is critical to understand the
potential for their environmental transport and mobility.[15]
Image of Uranium risk map may be found
here: https://web.archive.org/web/20160420200501/http://www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/waterres/cycle/
groundwater/well/uranium.pdf

The most visible civilian use of uranium is as the thermal power source used in nuclear power plants

See also[edit]
 Industrial waste
 List of waste types
 Municipal solid waste
 Radioactive waste
 Toxic waste
 Waste management
 Water pollution

References[edit]
1. ^ Hallam, Bill (April–May 2010). "Techniques for Efficient Hazardous Chemicals Handling
and Disposal". Pollution Equipment News. p.  13. Archived from  the original on 8 May
2013. Retrieved  10 March 2016.
2. ^ "LABORATORY CHEMICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES"  (PDF).
Environmental Health and Radiation Safety University of Pennsylvania. Archived
from  the original  (PDF)  on 24 August 2015. Retrieved 10 March  2016.
3. ^ Jump up to:a b c "Waste - Disposal of Laboratory Wastes (GUIDANCE) | Current Staff |
University of St Andrews".  www.st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 2016-02-04.
4. ^ Shibamoto, T; Yasuhara, A; Katami, T (2007). "Dioxin formation from waste
incineration".  Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology. 190: 1–
41.  doi:10.1007/978-0-387-36903-7_1. ISBN 978-0-387-36900-6.  PMID  17432330.
5. ^ Europa.  "Waste incineration". Retrieved  10 March 2016.
6. ^ "Chemical Waste Management | Environmental Health and Safety at
UVM". www.uvm.edu. Archived from the original  on 2016-01-31. Retrieved  2016-02-04.
7. ^ "Chemical Compatibility and Segregation Guides".  orf.od.nih.gov. Retrieved 2016-02-
12.
8. ^ "How to Store and Dispose of Hazardous Chemical Waste".  blink.ucsd.edu.
Retrieved 2016-02-12.
9. ^ Jump up to:a b "General Requirements".  www.ehs.utoronto.ca. Retrieved  2016-02-19.
10. ^ Laboratory, National Research Council (US) Committee on Prudent Practices in the
(2011-01-01).  "Management of Waste". Retrieved 10 March  2016.
11. ^ "Laboratory Waste Disposal"  (PDF). Retrieved  10 March 2016.
12. ^ "PROCEDURES FOR LABORATORY CHEMICAL WASTE DISPOSAL"  (PDF).
Memorial University. Retrieved 10 March  2016.
13. ^ "SIS Specialized Information System".  United States National Library of Medicine.
Retrieved 11 August  2010.
14. ^ "Toxnet". United States National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 11 August  2010.
15. ^ Environment, Department of Municipal Affairs and.  "Uranium in Well Water - Water
Resources Management". www.env.gov.nl.ca. Archived from  the original on 2016-04-20.
Retrieved 2016-04-06.

Further reading[edit]
 Committee on Prudent Practices for Handling, Storage, and Disposal of Chemicals in
Laboratories, National Research Council (16 September 1995). "7. Disposal of
Waste". Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of
Chemicals  (online book). The National Academies Press. pp. 147–150. ISBN 978-0-
309-05229-0.

External links[edit]
 Industrial Materials Recycling – US EPA

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