Hazardous Waste

Oregon State UniversityEnvironmental Health and Safety

Hazardous Defined

• Flammable (flashpoint <140o F)• Many organic solvents• Oxidizers

• Corrosive (pH <2 or pH >12)• Acids & bases• Materials that corrode metal

Hazardous (Cont.)• Reactive (water reactive,

explosive)• Sodium metal• Cyanides & sulfides

• Toxic• Cause injury or illness by exposure• Poisons• Metals (As, Ba, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Se, Ag)

Waste Defined• Used or spent chemicals (process

or experiment)• Old or unwanted chemicals• Ask yourself: would I use this

chemical• In a critical experiment?• For a critical maintenance activity?

Waste (Cont.)• Materials

• from a spill cleanup• have exceeded printed expiration

date• that become unstable on storage and

are past useful date• (diethyl ether, dioxane, tetrahydrofuran)

Waste Determination• OSU must perform determination

on all chemicals disposed• Use HW criteria to perform

determination on specific waste streams

• EH&S can provide a waste determination in a matter of minutes

Special Waste• Aerosol cans and gas cylinders

• Hazardous unless open to the atmosphere

• Syringes• Defined as sharps in Oregon• Collect in hard sided leak-proof sharps

container

Special Waste (Cont.)• Broken glass

• Collect in medium size box• Label box “broken glass”• Lab personnel take to garbage

• Waste covered by other programs• Biohazardous• Radioactive

Universal Waste• “Universal” – common to all

– Batteries– Fluorescent light tubes & ballasts– Mercury-containing devices– Waste oil– See separate EH&S training

Satellite Waste Managment• Waste in labs/shops is by

regulation in a “satellite accumulation” area

• Keep up to 55 gals of waste at area of generation

• Specific rules apply– Detailed on following pages

Containers• Appropriate size & type• Good condition NON-LEAKING • Compatible with contained waste• Closed when not actively adding

waste• Remove funnels after 30 seconds of draining

• NO evaporation of hazardous waste is ever permitted

Solvent Containers• EH&S containers

– Reusable– Available for

frequent generators– Solvents– Dilute acids & bases– Not for toxic or

reactive waste

Container Storage• Store waste compatibly• Liquids

– Secondary containment trays• Observe hazardous materials limits

– Floammable liquids >10 gal in flammable liquid cabinets

Container lids• Waste container lids must be:

– Screw-top– Non-leaking and tight fitting – Not cracked, broken or chemically damaged

• NOT acceptable:– Rubber stoppers– Plastic snap lids– Parafilm or foil

Labels• Label containers PRIOR to adding waste

– Deface existing labels• Fill out hazardous waste label

completely– Include constituent and concentration or %

• Original manufacturer labels are acceptable if no other material has been added

• Improperly labeled waste will not be removed

OSU Hazardous Waste Label

Available from on EH&S web site

Unknowns• Avoid unknowns by good labeling

and frequent inventory• EH&S can characterize unknown

waste, but– It takes a lot of time away from

pickups– It takes a lot of materials

• Please note on waste pickup request

Point of Generation• Waste must be stored at or near

the point of generation• Waste must be under control of

“operator of the process” that generates the waste

• Filled containers must stay in original room

Waste Minimization• Wherever possible, reduce

generation of waste– Substitute for hazardous chemicals – Buy in quantity to meet needs– Change technology (e.g., digital

photography)– Use non-mercury thermometers

Chemical Recycling• Unopened or partially used original

containers• High quality with good modern labels• Available to interested parties at OSU –

no cost• Lab chemicals – NOT to be given or sold

to general public or offered as surplus property

• Commercial chemical products - may be offered as surplus property if reasonable cautions are followed

Non-Hazardous Solid Waste

• Can be disposed in trash:– Must be determined to be non-

hazardous– Securely seal chemical in cardboard

box and label “non-hazardous chemicals”

– Place in outdoor garbage

Liquid Drain Disposal• Liquids only• Strictly forbidden if

hazardous waste• Corvallis drain

disposal regulations:– NO liquids > 150o F– NO flam. liquids with

explosive potential– NO fat, oil, grease >

100 ppm– pH values 6 to 9

Non-toxic acids & bases can be neutralized and

discharged

Waste Categories• Lab pack• Non-halogenated• Halogen solvent• Aqueous liquid• Organic solid• Inorganic solid• Acid inorganic• Organic corrosive

• Inorganic alkali• Hg debris• Hg compounds• Batteries (nicad, alkaline, lithium)• High hazard• Oil paint• Unknown

Where Does the Waste Go?

• Landfill• Incinerator• Chemical Reactor• Nuclear Reactor• Fuel• Retort

How Much Does Waste Cost OSU?

• In order of waste volume (cost per pound):– Fuel ($0.37)– Incinerator ($2.16)– Chemical Reactor ($0.37)– Retort ($3.38)– Landfill ($0.56)

• Segregate your waste

How Much Does Waste Cost YOU?

• What does waste pickup cost your lab-department-college?– Nothing– Zero– $0

When Should YOU Get Rid of Waste

• Anytime• When done generating that waste• Would you trust this chemical

– In a critical experiment?– For a critical maintenance activity?

Waste Pickup Request• EH&S website – waste pickup form

– http://oregonstate.edu/ehs/waste • Request empty 20-liter containers• Include information on lab clean-

outs• EH&S collects roughly 90 tons of

waste per year

Test• What is wrong

here?– What isn’t?– Funnel– Label - both– “Hazardous

Waste”– Secondary

containment