Download WASTE DISPOSAL - Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Albert Einstein College of
Medicine
Environmental Health and Safety
Waste Disposal Training
WASTE DISPOSAL
Introduction
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Disposal of waste is complicated and
expensive.
There are a number of government
agencies and volumes of regulations
governing the proper disposal of waste.
Severe penalties may be levied against the
College should waste be discarded
improperly.
Identifying waste
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Proper laboratory waste disposal begins at
the experimental design stage.
When evaluating the experiment to be
performed consider the types of waste
that will be generated in procedure.
Consider non-hazardous alternatives to
those material that may generate costly
hazardous waste.
Minimizing waste generation
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Order only the amount of material needed
for the experiment.
Excessive stocks of hazardous chemicals,
radioactive material and infectious agents
presents serious storage, safety and
disposal problems.
Again try to find non-hazardous
alternatives to conduct your research.
Waste Types
There are numerous types of waste
generated at AECOM that must be
discarded in separate waste
containers. In most cases the disposal
of these waste types must be done in
accordance with federal, state or local
regulations.
Waste Types at AECOM
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Ordinary waste
Laboratory waste
Infectious waste
Sharps
Plastic serological
pipettes
Broken glass/bottles
Animal bedding
Animal carcasses
Chemical waste
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Chemotherapy waste
Mixed waste
Photographic and
chemical fixer
Radioactive waste
Universal waste
Computer monitors
Refrigerator units
Paint related materials
Waste Containers
Once the waste containers are full, they
must either be picked up by
Housekeeping or the Environmental
Health and Safety Department (EH&S).
The containers of waste are transferred
to a vendor for disposal according to
applicable federal, state or local
regulations.
Proper Waste Disposal
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What follows is an explanation of the
waste types at AECOM and the proper
procedure for discarding the waste type.
If you generate waste that you are
uncertain about the proper procedure for
disposal contact the EH&S at x4150.
Ordinary Waste
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This is waste that is generated in an office
or household setting.
It includes paper products, product
wrapping, newspapers and food and
beverage containers.
Housekeeping removes the waste from
waste baskets and discards it in the
appropriate container.
Ordinary Trash
Cardboard
Newspaper
Cans
paper products
product wrappers
Removed by Sanitation Department
Laboratory Waste
noninfectious
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This is waste that is generated when conducting
research that is nonpathogenic (BSL-1).
It may include gloves, pipettes, culture dishes
and conical tubes.
When the red bin is nearly full a laboratory
worker must seal or tie the red bag.
Housekeeping will then cover the bin and
remove it for proper disposal.
Laboratory Waste
noninfectious
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Red Medical Waste Bin
Gloves
Plastic Pipettes
Flasks
Plates
Dispensing tips
Eppendorff tubes
Any item that appear
or has been used in
medical research
Infectious Materials
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This is pathogenic waste, BSL-2 or BSL-3.
This waste must be disinfected before
discarding into a red bin.
Either autoclave the waste in an autoclave
bag or chemically treat the waste. Once
the infectious material is neutralized it
may be discarded into the red bin.
Autoclave Infectious Waste
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Follow appropriate
procedures for operation
Use only autoclave bags
or containers in autoclave
Remove waste from
autoclave upon
completion of cycle.
Do not autoclave
chemicals or radioactive
material.
Chemical Disinfectant
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Bleach may be used to
disinfect contaminated
items.
1 part bleach to 10 parts
water.
It should be freshly
prepared each day.
Prepare a fresh bottle of
bleach solution each day as
it quickly becomes
ineffective.
Infectious Materials (cont.)
All BSL 3
Containment
Facility waste
must be
autoclaved prior
to disposal.
Infectious Materials (cont.)
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When the red bin is almost full it is the
responsibility of laboratory workers to
seal/tie the bag.
Housekeeping will then cover the bin and
remove it for proper disposal.
Infectious Materials
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Autoclave or chemical
disinfect then dispose in
the red medical waste
bin
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Culture dishes, vessels
Transfer pipettes
Discarded live and
attenuated cultures
Human blood and blood
products
Tissue specimens
(excluding animals parts
or carcasses)
Gloves or other
protective equipment
Sharps Disposal
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Sharps are a special type of laboratory waste
that must be discarded in a separate container
(Sharps Container).
Sharps include syringes with or without needle,
needles, glass pipettes, suture needles, slides
and coverslips, scalpel, tweezers, razor blades
and broken vials
If infectious disinfect by autoclaving before
disposal into medical waste bin
Sharps Disposal (cont.)
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When the sharps container is full it is the
responsibility of the laboratory worker to close
and seal the container and place it in a red bin.
When the red bin is almost full it is the
responsibility of laboratory workers to seal/tie
the bag.
Housekeeping will then cover the bin and
remove it for proper disposal.
Sharps Disposal
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Needles
Syringes with or without
needle
Suture needles
Glass pipettes
Slides and coverslips
Scalpel
Tweezers
Razor blades
Broken vials
If infectious disinfect by autoclaving
before disposal into medical waste bin
Plastic Serological Pipettes
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Plastic pipettes may contain residual
liquid. Therefore, to minimize
contamination:
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Place them in a cardboard box which has
been lined with a plastic bag.
When the box is full seal and discard it into a
laboratory waste container.
Plastic Serological Pipettes
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Pipettes need to be
placed in a lined box
If infectious, chemically
disinfect or autoclave
Dispose in red medical
waste bin
Broken Glass/Bottles
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Place pieces in a
cardboard box, seal
with tape and dispose
in ordinary trash
Glass must be clean in
order to go into the
ordinary trash
If contaminated place
in red medical waste
bin
Animal Bedding
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Contains urine and feces from animals.
If bedding was used with infectious agents it
must be autoclaved or chemically treated and
discarded in a red bin.
If it is not infectious than it may be discard in the
ordinary waste.
If it was used with animals containing radioactive
material it must be treated as radioactive waste.
This will be discussed in more detail later.
Animal Bedding
Infectious
Autoclave or chemically disinfect
Non-infectious
Animal Carcass Disposal
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Animal carcasses should be stored in a
freezer prior to disposal.
If anesthesia is used, you should allow
animal to off-gas in the fume hood before
disposal.
Animals used with radioactive material
may need to be treated as radioactive.
This will be discussed in more detail later.
Animal Carcass Disposal
Freezer location:
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Ullmann 1008
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Chanin 617
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Kennedy B26
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Do not store excessive
carcasses in your lab
freezer
Chemical Waste Pick up
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Chemical waste may be generated when
conducting biomedical research.
This waste must not be discarded down
the sink.
It must be collected in a container and
transferred to EH&S for proper disposal.
All containers to be picked up by EH&S
must have a Hazardous Waste ticket
affixed to it.
Chemical Waste Pick up
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Chemical disposal is free
Do not dump down the drain
Do not dump in ordinary trash or red medical
waste bin
Do not allow chemicals to evaporate in the
fume hood
Chemical Waste Pick up
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If you require a pick up, a copy of this form must be
forwarded to F-800 by mail or fax (x8740)
You may also obtain a pick up by submitting a form
online via the EH&S website: www.aecom.yu.edu/ehs
Chemical Waste Pick up
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A waste label must be placed on the waste container
as soon as the first drop of waste is added
A waste label must be placed on all hazardous waste
containers, even if the original label is present on the
chemical bottle
Hazardous Waste label
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Are required by the New York City
Department of Environmental Conservation.
Label must contain the words “Hazardous
Waste”
The date must identify when the container
was filled
The full name of the chemical(s) must be
written out
Hazardous Waste label (cont.)
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Labels can be obtained from F-800 or by
calling x4150 or
Labels may also be obtained at the EH&S
website at http:/www.aecom.yu.edu/ehs/.
Under no circumstances may a container
labeled with the words “Hazardous Waste” be
disposed in the regular trash.
Disposal of Empty Bottles
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Chemical bottles must be rinsed three times
Label must be defaced or removed
Dispose in the ordinary trash
Media and saline bottles may also be disposed
this way
Chemical Consolidation
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In order to save money, AECOM currently
consolidates flammable and aldehyde
chemicals waste into 55 gallon drums.
To insure the safety of all workers involved
refer to the list of approved chemicals for
consolidation.
Approved Chemicals for
Consolidation
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Acetone
Acetonitrile
Benzene
Cyclohexanone
Ethanol
Ethyl acetate
Ethylbenzene
Methanol
Methyl ethyl Ketone
Nitrobenzene
Toluene
Xylene
Gel Containers
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Used for high amounts of
acrylamide and/or ethidium
bromide gels
Do not place conical tubes,
sharps or gloves in container
Line with plain plastic bag, do
not use biohazard bag
Requires chemical waste pick
up form for disposal
Chemotherapy Waste
All waste derived from
chemotherapy must be discarded
as hazardous waste
Mixed Waste
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If your research involves generating this
type of waste, you should consult with the
radiation or laboratory safety officer for
appropriate disposal procedure.
It is important to note that residues from
incompatible chemical may react and
cause pressure buildup and even explode.
Mixed Waste
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Chemical and biological
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Animal tissues in formalin
Lab supplies mixed with
chemical or radiological
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Chemical with Radiological
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Biological with Radiological
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Scintillation vial in with dry
solid
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Halogenated waste with
non-halogenated waste
Solvents with aqueous waste
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Radioactive animals
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Gloves or tubes mixed with gel
waste
Needles mixed with radiation
waste
Buffer solutions mixed with
flammables
Incompatible chemicals
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Solvents with acids
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.
PHOTOGRAPHIC and CHEMICAL
FIXER DISPOSAL
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.
PHOTOGRAPHIC and CHEMICAL
FIXER DISPOSAL
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Laboratories have two options for disposal
of used fixer solutions:
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Run spent fixer through a silver recovery unit
which makes the waste non-hazardous 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.
Collect, label, and transfer used fixer via
EH&S.
Silver Recovery Unit
Radioactive Waste Disposal
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Minimize generation
Identify and segregate waste
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Long term (H-3 and C-14)
Intermediate (S-35 and I-125)
Short lived (P-32)
Use sink disposal limits
Complete waste ticket for pick up
Keep disposal records
Disposal
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Do not dispose of radioactive waste in:
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Laboratory Waste containers (Red Bins)
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Ordinary “black bag” waste containers
Use only approved radioactive waste
containers supplied by Radiation Safety
Container will have the warning label
“Caution Radioactive Material”
Short Lived Waste
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Intermediate and short lived waste must be separated
according to isotope into different containers.
Label the container with the isotope and document the isotope,
amount and date on the radioactive material inventory form.
S-35
S-35
S-35, P-33
P-33
P-33
I-125, Cr-51
P-32
Long Lived Waste
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Place waste in one of the following containers below
Label the container with the isotope and document the
isotope, amount, and date on the radioactive material
inventory form
Note: H-3 and C-14 may be placed into the same
container
When full, complete a radioactive waste ticket. Attach
one copy to the container and mail (F-800) or fax
(x8740) the other copy to EH&S
Liquid Scintillation Vials
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Scintillation vials
containing radioactive
materials may be
placed in the
following containers
for disposal
10 gallon
5 gallon
Sink Disposal of Liquids
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The City of New York permits small
amount of radioactive material to be
discarded down the sink.
Designate a sink for disposal of radioactive
material and label with a radiation warning
label.
When discarding radioactive material
down the sink follow sink disposal limits.
Sink Disposal of Liquids (cont.)
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Each isotope has two limits for the
disposal of radioactive material down the
sink.
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The monthly limit which is a maximum
amount that must not be exceeded by the
Principal Investigator.
The daily limit which is an average amount
that should be used as a guideline for the
amount that may be discarded down the drain
per day.
Sink Disposal of Liquids (cont.)
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Isotope
Monthly Limit (uCi)
Daily Limit (uCi)
P-32
360
12
S-35
300
10
I-125
360
12
Cr-51
1500
50
C-14
900
30
H-3
360
12
The above quantities may be discarded into
a designated laboratory sink
Document disposal on either:
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Radioactive Material Inventory Form
Sink Disposal Log
Sink Disposal of Liquids (cont.)
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Phosphorous-32 or P-32 has the follow
limits for sink disposal:
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The monthly limit is 360 uCi maximum
The daily average is 12 uCi.
Disposal of Large Quantities of
Liquid Waste
Radioactive waste that can not be discarded down the
sink due to its high radioactive content may be disposed
of in the following manner:
Collect in the lab, picked
up by EH&S and disposal
via Radiation waste broker
Hold the waste for decay
then dispose in designated
sink
Animals
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Animals containing less than 0.05 uCi/g can be
disposed in the pathological waste containers
located in the Animal Institute
Animals containing more than 0.05 uCi/g:
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For P-32, S-35, I-125, Cr-51
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Store frozen for 10 half-lives, then transfer to EH&S
For H-3 and C-14
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Freeze and transfer to EH&S
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.
Examples of Universal Waste
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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)
Universal Waste
Computer Monitors
Computers contain hazardous materials such as
lead and other metals therefore, they can not be
disposed in the ordinary trash
They are picked up by MIS or Housekeeping.
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. AECOM reclaims freon from old or
nonfunctioning units and reuses it in
other areas.
Examples of Refrigeration Units
Disposal of Refrigeration Units
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Call x2573 to have the piece of equipment removed
from the AECOM inventory.
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.
Contact EH&S in writing (Forch 800) or email
([email protected]) to inspect and clear the item
for disposal.
The laboratory or administrator must submit a work
order to engineering to have the Freon removed.
Engineering personnel will remove the unit, reclaim the
freon and dispose of the unit in the construction
compactor.
Paint Related Materials
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Three types of Paint Products
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Regulated Metal Pigments: containing
cadmium, chromium, lead, silver, barium,
mercury, arsenic and selenium
Oil Based Paints: containing alkyd,
polyurethane or varnish
Non Regulated: Containing Latex, Vinyl, or
Acrylic.
Regulated Metal Pigments
Label as hazardous waste and
turn over to EH&S for disposal.
Oil Based Paints
Label as hazardous waste and
transfer to EH&S for disposal
Non Regulated Paint
Air dry excess paint on plastic or
cardboard and discard in the
ordinary trash.
Paint Related Materials
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Paint thinner are a hazardous waste and
must be treated as such
Aerosol cans which are completely empty
may be discarded in the ordinary trash
All rags and brushes used with oil based
paints or regulated metal pigments must
be treated as hazardous waste.
Paint Related Materials
Disposal of Paint Related
Materials
Paint thinners and rags and
brushes used with oil based paints
or regulated metal pigments.
Contact Information
Department of Environmental Health and Safety
Delia Vieira-Cruz, LSO
x3560
[email protected]
Bob Casparius, RSO
X2243
[email protected]