Waste Disposal Guidelines YESHIVA UNIVERSITY

Transcription

1 Waste Disposal Guidelines YESHIVA UNIVERSITY Department of Enviromental Health and Safety Revised November, 2006

2 INTRODUCTION Disposal of waste is complicated and expensive. Regulations designed to ensure proper disposal of waste have dramatically increased. The government agencies involved in monitoring waste disposal at Yeshiva University and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University are: US Environmental Protection Agency, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, New York State Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Department of Health, New York City Department of Sanitation, and New York City Department of Environmental Protection. Each agency has a myriad of rules and regulations covering different types of waste. The attached guidelines are designed to assist you and the University in its waste disposal program. Proper laboratory waste disposal begins at the experiment design stage. As you evaluate your experimental needs, consider what you will do with the hazardous products generated and any remaining stock material. Order only the amount needed for your experiments. Excessive stocks of hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials, and infectious agents present serious storage, safety, and disposal problems. Also, review the literature for non-hazardous protocols. Waste minimization has become a buzzword for many regulatory agencies. As waste becomes more and more difficult to dispose, we can expect regulatory agencies to strictly enforce minimization programs. Yeshiva University s Waste Disposal Guidelines require your assistance in their implementation. Contact the Department of Environmental Health and Safety at (212) or (718) if you have any questions regarding waste disposal.

3 TABLE of CONTENTS Page Number Ordinary Trash 1 Sharps Non Infectious Non Contaminated 2 Sharps Infectious or Trace Chemicals 3 Plastic Labware Non-Infectious Non-Contaminated 4 Plastic Labware Infectious Chemically Contaminated 5 Infectious Materials 6 Bottles Non-Infectious Not Chemically Contaminated 7 Broken Glass/Bottles 8 Bottles Chemically Contaminated 9 Chemicals 10 Hazardous Chemical Consolidation 11 Hazardous Trace Chemicals 12 Photographic and Chemical Fixer Disposal 13 Animals and Bedding Non-Infectious 14 Animals and Bedding Infectious 15 Universal Waste 16 Computers 17 Water Based Paints 18 Paint-Related Materials 19 PCB Waste 20 Disposal of Refrigeration Units 21 Hazardous Waste Label 22 Hazardous Chemical Waste Disposal 23 Radioactive Waste Dry Solid H-3 and C Disposal of Mixed Waste 25 Radioactive Waste Disposal of Large Quantities of Liquid Waste 26 Radioactive Waste Animals 27 Radioactive Waste Liquid Scintillation Vials 28

4 ORDINARY TRASH Examples: Paper products Product wrappers and packaging Cardboard containers Recycling law for: Cardboard Newspaper Magazines High-grade office paper Aluminum cans Bulk items Catalogs or books Black Bag SANITATION DEPARTMENT

5 SHARPS NON-INFECTIOUS NON-CONTAMINATED Examples: Needles with attached tubing Syringes (with or without the needles attached) Hypodermic needles Suture needles, surgical needles Pasteur pipettes Broken glass beakers* Broken glass flasks* Broken glass test tubes Glass culture dishes Glass blood vials Glass pipettes Scalpel blades Broken rigid plastic items Surgical staples Instruments designed for cutting and puncturing (e.g., bone saws, scissors) Slides Cover slips Lancets Tweezers Razor blades Leak-Proof Sharps Container (Order through Fisher) These items may be placed in a cardboard box, taped and disposed in the Red Medical Waste Bin. Red Medical Waste Bin MEDICAL WASTE CARTER (Arranged through EH&S/Director of Labs)

6 SHARPS INFECTIOUS OR TRACE CHEMICALS* Examples: Needles with attached tubing Syringes (with or without the needles attached) Hypodermic needles Suture needles, surgical needles Pasteur pipettes Broken glass beakers Broken glass flasks Broken glass test tubes Glass culture dishes Glass blood vials Glass pipettes Scalpel blades Broken rigid plastic items Surgical staples Instruments designed for cutting and puncturing (e.g., bone saws, scissors) Slides Cover slips Lancets Tweezers Razor blades Chemical Disinfection Where appropriate Leak-Proof Sharps Container (Order through Fisher) Autoclave 250 o F, 1 Hour (Time and temperature may vary) * Coated but no visible liquid Red Medical Waste Bin MEDICAL WASTE CARTER (Arranged through EH&S/Director of Labs)

7 PLASTIC LABWARE NON-INFECTIOUS NON-CONTAMINATED Examples Plastic pipettes Flasks Plates Bottles Dispensing tips Eppendorff tubes Any labware that appears as if it may have been involved with medical research Red Medical Waste Bin MEDICAL WASTE CARTER (Arranged through EH&S & Director of Labs)

8 PLASTIC LABWARE INFECTIOUS CHEMICALLY CONTAMINATED Examples Pipettes, Plastic Flasks Plates Bottles Plastic dispensing tips Eppendorff tubes* Chemical Disinfection (e.g., 10% bleach solution in distilled water) Lined pipet box Lined pipet box Autoclave* 250 o F, 1 Hour (Time and temp. may vary) Red Medical Waste Bin MEDICAL WASTE CARTE (Arranged through EH&S/ Director of Labs) *Remove chemicals from tubes before disposing in medical waste bin, DO NOT autoclave chemicals.

9 INFECTIOUS MATERIALS Examples Culture dishes, vessels Devices to transfer, inoculate and mix cultures Discarded live and attenuated vaccines, cultures Virus and bacteria cultures Human blood and blood products Tissue specimens (excluding animal carcasses) Gloves and other protective equipment Two methods for disinfecting infectious materials Certain Liquids (e.g., aspirated tissue culture supernatants, blood products) Solids or Liquids Chemical Disinfection (e.g., 10% bleach solution in distilled water) Autoclave 250 o F, 1 Hour (Time and temp. may vary) Sink Disposal Red Medical Waste Bin Note: Items that are considered sharps and are infectious must first be placed into a sharps container prior to autoclaving. MEDICAL WASTE CARTER

10 LABORATORY BOTTLES NON-INFECTIOUS- NOT CHEMICALLY CONTAMINATED Example Media bottles Saline bottles Rinse bottles three times Deface the label Dispose in the ordinary trash (Picked up by housekeeping) SANITATION DEPARTMENT

11 BROKEN GLASS/BOTTLES NON-INFECTIOUS- NOT CHEMICALLY CONTAMINATED Example Media bottles Saline bottles Laboratory glassware Place in a cardboard box, seal and label broken glass Dispose in the ordinary trash SANITATION DEPARTMENT Note: If bottle has trace chemicals, place in medical waste bin instead of ordinary trash.

12 BOTTLES CHEMICALLY CONTAMINATED Rinse bottles three times, collecting the first rinsing into a labeled waste bottle Deface the label Dispose in the ordinary trash

13 CHEMICALS Labeling waste bottles with a Hazardous Waste Label, (see Page 22). Label must contain full name of the chemical, along with the date of the first accumulation and name of Principal Investigator. Recycled Chemicals New, unopened bottles Disposed via Chemical Waste Broker (Arranged by EH&S/ Director of Labs) 10

14 HAZARDOUS* CHEMICAL CONSOLIDATION NON-CHLORINATED SOLVENTS* Examples Acetone Acetonitrile Benzene Cyclohexanone Ethanol Ethyl acetate Ethylbenzene Isopropanol Methanol Methyl ethyl ketone Nitrobenzene Toluene Xylene 1 gallon container 5 gallon container Containers must be labeled 1 Note: Chemical, other than non-chlorinated solvents, may be consolidated separately. Disposal via Chemical Waste Broker *Hazardous Chemical Wastes are defined as solids, liquids, or gases that may exhibit properties of Ignition, Corrosivity, Reactivity, and Toxicity and that pose a substantial present, or potential hazard when improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed or otherwise managed. 11

15 HAZARDOUS TRACE CHEMICALS* Example Acrylamide gels Ethidium Bromide gels Black 5 gallon can, lined with a plastic bag (Do NOT use biohazard bag) Disposal via Chemical Waste Broker (Arranged by EH&S) *Do not place laboratory waste (conical tubes, sharps, gloves, etc) into the gel containers. 12

16 PHOTOGRAPHIC and CHEMICAL FIXER DISPOSAL Silver is a heavy metal which, in concentrations exceeding 5 ppm, is regulated by the EPA under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as hazardous waste. Image processing is, by far, the major source of silver-containing wastes produced at AECOM and Yeshiva University. Photographic paper and x-ray film have an emulsion of fine silver halide crystals which is released in excess in the fixer solution. Basically, the fixer stops the chemical reaction initiated by the developer and the undeveloped silver is released by the film and dissolves in the fixer. Fixer used for gel radiography and other film developing procedures will generate enough silver in concentrations which prohibits drain disposal. Laboratories have two options for disposal of used fixer solutions: 1. Run spent fixer through a silver recovery unit which makes the waste nonhazardous by reducing the amount of silver in the solution. Once the material has gone through a silver recovery unit the waste is acceptable for drain disposal. 2. Collect, label, and dispose used fixer as hazardous waste. Silver recovery equipment using metallic replacement cartridges, is recommended. The KODAK Chemical Recovery Cartridge, Junior Model II, is an example of this silver recovery equipment, used for the removal of silver from fixer solutions. These cartridges are simple to use and maintain, and generally need to be replaced every 3 to 6 months. Used cartridges may be labeled and disposed via EH&S or recycled via a silver recovery vendor. Also, all unused, concentrated photographic materials must be labeled as hazardous waste and disposed accordingly. 13

17 ANIMALS & BEDDING NON-INFECTIOUS Gloves, gowns, etc Cages Bedding Animal carcasses Washed Ordinary trash Animal waste container Recycled Trash compactor Medical Waste Carter (Arranged by EH&S/ Director of Labs) 14

18 ANIMALS & BEDDING INFECTIOUS Cages Animal bedding Personal protective equipment (PPE) (gloves, gowns, masks, etc) Animal carcasses Autoclave 250 o F, 1 Hour (Time and temp. may vary) Animal waste containers Cages Bedding Glove, gowns, etc Washed Recycled Ordinary Trash Medical Waste Bin Compactor Pathological Waste Stream Medical Waste Carter (Arranged by EH&S/Director of Labs) 15

19 UNIVERSAL WASTE The Universal Waste Rule permits certain hazardous wastes to be managed under streamlined requirements that encourage the collection, recycling or disposal of certain wastes. Although still considered "hazardous," this "Universal Waste" rule provides for reduced management and record keeping requirements regarding these specific wastes. Example: Fluorescent and high intensity discharge lamps, neon, mercury vapor, high pressure sodium, and metal halide lamps Batteries Mercury thermostats Certain pesticides Computer monitors (see computer page) Disosal via Chemical Waste Broker (Arranged by EH&S/Director of Labs) 16

20 COMPUTERS Computers (CPUs) and Monitors may contain hazardous materials such as lead and other metals therefore, they cannot be disposed as ordinary trash. Disposal For MIS supported computers For all other computer Call ( ) Call Facilities Services (212) Recycling vendor (Part salvage or disposal) 17

21 WATER BASED PAINTS Latex, Vinyl or Acrylic Non Regulated Contains NO regulated materials Regulated Metal Pigments Cadmium, Chromium, Lead, Silver, Barium, Mercury, Arsenic, Selenium Air dry excess paint on plastic or cardboard Label as Hazardous waste Dispose in the ordinary trash (Picked up by Housekeeping) Dispose via Chemical Waste Broker 18

22 PAINT RELATED MATERIALS Oil Based Paint Alkyd, Polyurethane or Varnish Paint Related Materials Thinners, Brushes, Aerosol Cans* Rags Label has Hazardous Waste & Dispose via Chemical Waste Broker *Aerosol Cans which are completely empty may be disposed in the ordinary black bag trash. 19

23 PCB WASTE Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are synthetic chemical compounds consisting of chlorine, carbon and hydrogen. PCBs may be a clear to yellow oily liquid or waxy solid. Due to harmful effects of PCBs on the environment, the United States stopped making them in Even though PCBs are no longer manufactured in the US, PCBs can still be found in certain devices or electronic equipment and must be disposed as hazardous waste. Examples: Transformers, capacitors, old fluorescent lights and ballasts, immersion oils used for high magnification (oil immersion) microscope lenses, X-ray generating devices, heat transfer systems, hydraulic systems, electromagnets, switches and voltage regulators, circuit breakers. Disposal via Chemical Waste Broker (Arranged by EH&S/Director of Labs) 20

24 DISPOSAL OF REFRIGERATION UNITS Freon is an ozone depleting chemical and must be reclaimed and recycled from refrigerators, freezers, air conditioning units, etc. Failure to do so is a violation of federal law and state law. Yeshiva University reclaims Freon from old or nonfunctioning units before discarding the equipment. All refrigerators and freezers, whether they are working or non-working must be disposed in the following manner: 1. Call Facilities Services (212) to arrange for disposal. 2. The refrigerator or freezer must be cleaned and disinfected by laboratory personnel. If laboratory personnel are not available then someone in the department must ensure that the unit is cleaned and disinfected. Facilities Services will make arrangements with the New York City Department of Sanitation to have Freon removed and reclaimed and the unit disposed. 21

25 HAZARDOUS WASTE LABEL The Waste Label below must be affixed to each waste container and must include the start date of collection, the full name of the chemical, no abbreviations, and approximate amount of the waste. A material is waste when you declare it as waste and at which time you affix the label. These labels can be obtained through EH&S at (212) Waste cannot be stored longer than 180 days from the start date on the label. Information on hazardous waste and disposal is also available on our EH&S website: 22

26 HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL WASTE DISPOSAL LABORATORIES The proper disposal of chemicals from our laboratories is by collection in a labeled bottle, stored closed in a safe location. The label must indicate the start date of the chemical collection and the name of the chemical being collected. Once the container is ready for disposal, transport it to Room B09 if the waste is not water reactive. HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS ARE NEVER TO BE DISPOSED DOWN THE DRAINS. This is a hard concept for some people to understand for various reasons. Nevertheless, Federal, State, and City laws prohibit the disposal of chemicals down the drains. Recently, the EPA has given large fines (in excess of several hundred thousand dollars), to neighboring institutions for sink disposal of hazardous chemicals. The NYC sanitary sewer is not able to handle hazardous chemical disposal and therefore, chemicals entering the sewer may ultimately be released into the surrounding waterways where they may cause environmental damage. Please review your laboratory activities and ensure that NO hazardous chemicals are disposed down the drains. If you have any questions regarding chemical waste disposal, please review our Hazardous Waste Guidelines or contact Environmental Health and Safety at (212) or (718)

27 Examples: Paper Glass Gloves RADIOACTIVE WASTE DRY SOLID (H-3 and C-14) Plastic Absorbent Empty Stock Containers Note: Small amounts of liquid, less then 10 ml may be absorbed on paper and discarded as dry solid waste. Place waste in one of the following containers. Label the container with the Isotope and document the isotope, amount and date on the radioactive material inventory form. When full, notify EH&S and deliver to Room B09 to be transferred to AECOM by our waste vendor for consolidation and disposal. Document the isotope and activity in CI, MCI on the container. The name of the generator and date when the waste was generated must be recorded on the container. Waste transferred to a 55 gallon container for compaction and disposal by EH&S 24

28 DISPOSAL OF MIXED WASTE On rare occasions it may be necessary to generate mixed waste. Mixed waste is radioactive waste that is mixed with other hazardous waste types, such as organic solvents, metal, or infectious agents*. If your research involves generating this type of waste, you should consult with the Radiation Safety Officer or the Laboratory Safety Officer for the appropriate disposal procedure. Generally mixed waste may be collected in the following manner. Disposal For long-lived isotopes (H-3, C-14), complete a waste ticket for a radiation waste transfer 25

29 RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL OF LIQUID WASTE Radioactive waste that cannot be discarded down the sink due to its high radioactive content, may be disposed in the following manner. For small volumes of liquid radioactive waste in the range of a few milliliters (less than 10 milliliters), absorb in an absorbent pad and allow to dry. Discard as dry solid waste. (See Dry Solid Radioactive Waste; page 24). For large volumes of liquid radioactive waste (more than 10 milliliters), notify the Department of Environmental Health and Safety and deliver to Room B09 to be transferred to AECOM by our waste vendor for consolidation and disposal. Document the isotope and activity in CI, MCI on the container. The name of the generator and the date when the waste was generated must be recorded on the container. 26

30 RADIOACTIVE WASTE ANIMALS Animals containing the following amounts: < 0.05 uci/g of H-3 & C-14 >0.05uCi/g H-3 & C-14* For any amount of short-lived isotopes (P-32, S-35, I-125, Cr-51)* Transfer to the Animal Institute for disposal via pathological waste Place in the freezer Place in the freezer Hold for 10 half-lives *Note: If you are planning to use these amounts in animals, please contact Radiation Safety before the project begins. Disposal via Radiation Waste Contractor (Arranged by EH&S) Medical Waste Carter (Arranged by EH&S/Director of Labs) 27

31 RADIOACTIVE WASTE LIQUID SCINTILLATION VIALS (LSV)* Scintillation vials containing radioactive material may be placed in the following containers for disposal. These containers are supplied by the Department of Environmental Health and Safety. The larger container (30 gallon) should contain absorbent and a liner, while the smaller container (5 gallon) only requires a liner. [Sent to Vendor for shipment and incineration] Note: To save money the laboratory should separate long-lived radioactive material (H-3 and C-14) from short-lived material (P-32, S-35, I-125). *Note: If you use biodegradable scintillation fluid, contact the Radiation Safety Officer (x2243) to determine proper disposal procedures. 28