Chemical/Hazardous Waste Management (Nevis) - Environmental ...

Nevis
Chemical Waste Management
1

Agenda
• Laboratory Safety
• Waste Minimization
• Laboratory Container and Glassware Management
• Hazardous Waste
– Rules and Regulations
– Identification of Hazardous Waste
– Proper Collection and Management of Hazardous
Waste
• Examples
– Lab Equipment Disposal
– Hazardous Waste review
2

EMS Policy and Procedure
The EMS’s No Drain Disposal Policy requires
all waste to be collected for safe and proper
disposal through EH&S.
3

EMS: Green Initiatives &
waste minimization tips
• Battery collection program
• Chemical recycling: acetone,
alcohol and xylene recovery
• Do not mix different waste
types
• Consider micro scale
experiments
• Consult EH&S for project
planning
• Reusable sharps containers
• Glassware recycling
• Plan 2017: 30% reduction in
energy use
4

Hazardous Waste is Regulated
at the Federal and State Level
5

Hazardous Waste Responsibilities
Hazardous Waste is managed in accordance with a
“cradle to grave” approach.
6

Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA)
• RCRA defines and establishes proper management
standards for Hazardous Wastes.
• The following categories provide the basis for identifying
Hazardous Wastes:
– Characteristic Hazardous Waste
– Listed Hazardous Waste
– Inherently waste-like materials
– Mixed Waste
– Universal Wastes
7

Characteristic Hazardous
Waste: Ignitability
Substances that are oxidizers or with a flashpoint less than
140° Fahrenheit
• Ethanol
• Spray paint
• Paraformaldehyde
• Activated carbon
• Sodium perchlorate
8

Characteristic Hazardous
Waste: Corrosivity
Substances with a pH less than or equal to 2
or greater than or equal to 12.5
• Hydrochloric acid
• Sodium hydroxide solution
9

Characteristic Hazardous
Waste: Reactivity
Substances that react violently with water or generate
toxic gases, vapors, or fumes when mixed with water; or
are normally unstable or capable of detonation
• Sodium metal
• Dry picric acid
• Potassium cyanide
10

Characteristic Hazardous
Waste: Toxicity
Substances capable of causing death or injury
in an organism due to a physicochemical
reaction
• Arsenic
• Cadmium
• Chloroform
• 1,4-Dichlorobenzene
• Lead
• Mercury
• Methyl ethyl ketone
• Silver
11

Listed Hazardous Waste
• Specific, acutely toxic chemicals
appearing on the USEPA and NYSDEC
lists are P-listed Hazardous Wastes.
– Allyl alcohol
– Epinephrine
– Sodium azide
P-List
12

Inherently Waste-like Chemicals
Chemicals can become “inherently
waste-like” and must be handled as
Hazardous Waste, if they have:
• Expired shelf-life
• No foreseeable use
• Contaminated or unusable
chemicals
• Significant deterioration of label
and/or container
13

What are the Four Hazards
Associated with Characteristic
Hazardous Waste
Reactive
Flammable
Toxic
Corrosive
14

Mixed Waste
Mixed Waste includes a RCRA
Hazardous Waste and a radioactive
isotope. Some common examples of
laboratory Mixed Waste include:
• Phenol-chloroform mixtures used in
extractions of radiolabelled nucleic
acids.
• Certain gel electrophoresis waste
(e.g., methanol or acetic acid
containing radionuclides).
• HPLC waste containing acetonitrile
and a radionuclide.
• Contact a Radiation Safety Officer
(RSO) for guidance if your lab
generates Mixed Waste.
15

Universal Waste
Universal Waste includes a variety of common items
that contain RCRA Hazardous Wastes, which also must
be managed to prevent environmental contamination.
– UV and fluorescent lamps
– Batteries
– Mercury devices
16

Used Batteries
• CU collects and recycles
over 40 tons (36,287 kgs) of
used batteries from all
locations.
• Batteries are not permitted to
be thrown in the trash.
• Battery terminals should be
covered with non-conductive
tape or individually bagged
and disposed of in a Used
Battery Collection Container.
• Nevis locations: RARAF
entrance and Cyclotron
building near water cooler.
17

Used Oil Management
• Used oil is collected
and recycled through
EH&S.
• All collected material
must be kept in a
closed container and
labeled as “Used
Oil”.
18

Five Rules of Hazardous
Waste Management
The Five Ls are a quick reference to
assist in managing Hazardous Waste:
• coLLect
• Label
• Lid
• Locate
• Leaks
19

Hazardous Waste Management
The First of the Five Ls
• coLLect
– Anything flammable, corrosive,
reactive, or toxic must be
coLLected as Hazardous Waste.
– Even small amounts (i.e. a few mL) must be
coLLected.
– The coLLection container must be compatible (won’t
react) with the Hazardous Waste.
• Do not coLLect hydrofluoric acid in glass
containers.
• Do not coLLect corrosive materials in metal
containers.
20

Hazardous Waste Management
The Second of the Five Ls
• Label
– Label a container when
the first drop of
Hazardous Waste is
added.
– All components of the
Hazardous Waste must
be listed.
– Do not use short hands,
abbreviations or generic
names (e.g. “organics”
or “halogenated”).
21

Hazardous Waste Labels
(continued)
Proper labeling requires the
full chemical name; no
abbreviations or formulas.
• EtOH ≠ Ethanol
• HNO 3 ≠ Nitric Acid
• HCOH ≠ Formaldehyde
• CH 2 Cl 2 ≠ Methylene Chloride
22

Hazardous Waste Management
The Third of the Five Ls
• Lid
– Hazardous Waste collection
containers must be closed at
all times, except during the
active filling of the container.
– The Lid of the container must
be screwed on tightly.
– An open funnel or tubing
must not be left in the top of
the container.
– If the container were to be
knocked over, no waste
should be spilled. For this
reason, Parafilm is not an
acceptable closure.
23

Hazardous Waste Management
The Fourth of the Five Ls
• Location
– Hazardous Waste must be collected
“at or near” the point of generation (a.k.a.
Satellite Accumulation Area).
– Hazardous Waste cannot be moved to a
collection area in another room at any other
campus besides Nevis.
24

Hazardous Waste Management
The Fifth of the Five Ls
• Leaks
– Hazardous Waste collection containers
must be visually inspected by the generator
of the waste on a regular basis to check for
Leaks.
– Contact EH&S at ext. 212-854-8749 for
assistance.
25

Hazardous Waste Management
Proper Collection and Management of Hazardous
Waste does not allow for the following:
• Evaporation
• Neutralization
• Dilution
• Treatment
26

For Hazardous Waste Pickup
http://vesta.cumc.columbia.edu/ehs/wastepickup/
27

Examples
http://ehs.columbia.edu/
28

Acceptable: Waste
Management
29

Unacceptable: CoLLection
30

Unacceptable: Labels
31

Unacceptable: Lids
32

Unacceptable: Location
33

Unacceptable: Leaks
34

Unacceptable: Inherently Waste-like
35

Lab Equipment Disposal
– If used with radioactive
material, FIRST a radiation
safety officer must perform a
wipe test and also clear the
item.
– If used with any biological
materials, the item must be
decontaminated with 10%
bleach or 70% ethanol.
– If any chemical contact was
possible, item must be
decontaminated with soap or
mild detergent.
– Refrigerants and/or oils must
be removed before disposal,
if applicable.
36

Medical Center Campus
Disposal of Empty Laboratory Chemical Containers and
Glassware
37

In what Containers should
these Wastes be Collected
38

What is Wrong with this Label
• Generator name,
location and contact
information must be
listed.
• Hg must be listed as
Mercury.
• Solvents must be listed
with their full proper
names.
• Concentrations must
be listed for each
component.
39

How should Oil waste be
Managed
• Used oil must be
kept in a closed
container and
marked or labeled
as “USED OIL”.
• Oil must not be
labeled as
“Hazardous
Waste” or “Waste
Oil”.
40

•To receive credit for this training, you must
initialize yourself on the RASCAL system at
https://www.rascal.columbia.edu/ by signing
in with your UNI within 24 hours of
completing the training.
•Copies of today’s training slides can be
found at
http://www.ehs.columbia.edu/TrainingContent
s.html
•We appreciate your feedback. Any questions
or suggestions can be submitted on our
electronic evaluation found at
http://www.ehs.columbia.edu/TrainingContent
s.html
41

Any Questions
Please return your completed evaluations and make sure
you neatly enter your information on the sign in sheet.
42

Please click the
link and fill out
evaluation sheet.
Start Evaluation
43