Lab Waste Management A hands-on guide Presented by Environmental Health & Safety University of Rhode Island Connie Heird Chemical Hygiene Officer

Annual Training – Due by October 9, 2018 Undergraduates: Initial Lab Safety class New Faculty, Staff and Grad Students: Year 1 – Initial Lab Safety Year 2 – Refresher Alternate years thereafter - Refresher

Which waste streams are we covering today? Chemical waste/Waste Determination/Proper Waste Labelling Biological waste: solid and liquid Sharps Waste Nanomaterials Agarose gels and Ethidium bromide Radioactivity Pump oil

Other Issues Serological pipettes Micropipette tips and boxes Universal Waste Broken Lab Glass Batteries

Chemical Waste Management Begins With a Hazardous Waste Determination

Hazardous Waste Management ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND Hazardous Waste Management 40 CFR 260-299 Protection of the Environment RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 1976 Industry + Academia EPA Office of Solid Waste Management Solids Liquids Industrial Sludge Semisolids Contained gaseous material URI inspected in 1997. Consent decree 2002. Fine $800,000. Waste disposal costs $5 million + (1999 – 2015) HAZMAT 2018

Waste Determination is Made by User ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND Waste Determination is Made by User A six step process to determine if a waste is hazardous. The steps are listed below, posed as a series of questions: Is it solid waste? Does it meet the regulatory definition of a solid waste (solids, liquids or industrial sludge)? RCRA - Office of Solid Waste Management Is it excluded? Does it fall under a regulatory exemption? Is it listed? Is it included in a specific list of wastes? Is it characteristic? Does it have a specific set of properties? Toxic, Corrosive, Flammable or Reactive Is it a mixture? Even if not hazardous, is it mixed with hazardous wastes (e.g. rad waste) Is it derived from a hazardous waste? Yes/no HAZMAT 2017

RI Hazard Characteristics ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND IGNITABLE: Flash point < 600 C 1400 F (previously 730C) Class 3 CORROSIVE: pH <5.0 or pH > 9.0 SK Water Board Federal pH < 2 or pH >12.5, corrode metal containers or flesh – Class 8 REACTIVE: Unstable under normal conditions – Class 5 Oxidizer/Reducer Air/Water reactive Heat/Photo reactive TOXIC: 300 mg/Kg oral dose rat LD50 - Class 6.1 (previously 5,000 mg) HAZMAT 2018

Solid waste Gels only: Dispose in mayo jars Filter pads, contaminated gloves, Kimwipes or paper towels: Double-bag in heavy duty plastic ziplock bags for disposal

Liquid Waste Dispose in a 4 liter bottles or 5 gal carboy Smaller screw cap containers (reagent bottles) are appropriate for smaller volumes of waste DO NOT USE mayo jars for liquids, they will leak!!

Chemical Waste Management Declare it a waste (no longer needed or wanted) Pour it into a properly labelled container Tighten the screw cap Put it in your SAA When container is full, send a Waste Pick-up Request to EHS

Chemical Waste Common issues Incomplete or missing labels Abbreviations on label (Do not use abbreviations, chemical formulas or trade names. For example, write out hydrochloric acid, not HCl) Screw caps missing or not on tightly Container too large for volume of waste generated Missing hazard class(es) Inappropriate container, incompatible with waste Waste not in SECONDARY CONTAINMENT (SAA)

SAA’s – Common problems Incompatible wastes in a single SAA (acids + bases) Must be segregated Inappropriate waste streams: sharps, empty containers SAA’s are only for chemical hazardous waste Too many UNKNOWNS!! Label your containers! SAA’s are full - send in Hazardous Waste Pick-up Requests at least monthly!

Proper labelling Missing labels: Attach a label to each waste container and fill it in correctly No abbreviations! Include water in solutions Wrong room number/missing contact info (PI’s name)

How to Label Your Waste

Scheduling Waste Pick-ups Triumvirate Environmental is here most Thursdays Please submit your Waste Pick-up Request to EHS by 2 pm Wednesday, the day before Do not submit your request on Thursday and expect your waste to be picked up that day. It won’t be. Email to srm@etal.uri.edu Fax to 874-9069

Sharps at URI What’s a Sharp? Includes Any item capable of puncturing or cutting the skin Proper disposal: In the lab’s Sharps container NOT IN THE LAB’S GLASS DISPOSAL BOX Includes Needles and syringes Scalpels and blades Razor blades Pasteur pipettes (bio and non- bio) Microscope slides and coverslips Vacutainer tubes

Regulated Medical Waste - RMW (aka Biowaste) Examples Bio box: BL-1 and BL-2 waste BL-1 and BL-2 pathogens Cell culture plasticware Micropipette tips Disposable lab coats DO NOT OVERFILL DRY WASTE ONLY, no liquids!! Sharps: Needles and syringes Scalpels and blades Razor blades Pasteur pipettes (bio and non-bio) Microscope slides and coverslips Vacutainer tubes DRY WASTE ONLY, no liquids!!

Sharps Containers

What do you do with your full Sharps container? If you have other bio waste, put your Sharps container in your bio waste box If you don’t, then put it in a box in a lab on your floor Biowaste pick-ups: alternate Tuesdays – see Biowaste Pick-up Schedule https://web.uri.edu/ehs/files/BIOWASTE-PICK-UP-SCHEDULE-2018.pdf

The Bio Box – RMW Disposal Available in room 275-B Avedesian Hall Boxes Bags (DOUBLE BAG – new for 2018-19) Tape See Managing Biohazardous Waste SOP in URI Biosafety Manual, p. 58 for directions on how to set up a box properly https://web.uri.edu/researchecondev/files/BioSafety-Manual-2015.pdf Improperly set up boxes will be rejected Overweight boxes will be rejected

Chemical and Bio Waste Do not mix

Bio Waste - Liquid From cell culture aspiration Add bleach to make a final dilution of 10% bleach plus aspirate Allow 20 minutes contact time to kill Wash down the sanitary sewer with running water Other liquid bio wastes: contact EHS: x 4-7019

Nanomaterials Dispose nanoparticles following EHS chemical waste guidelines: Contaminated objects (paper, wipes, tips): dispose as solid chemical waste Contaminated disposable PPE (gloves, disposable lab coats): dispose as solid chemical waste Pure nanomaterials/nanoparticles in solid form (including powders): dispose as solid chemical waste Nanoparticles in solution: dispose as liquid chemical waste

Agarose and Ethidium Bromide Gels Small volumes (a few gels): mayo jar from EHS Large volumes (multi-user rooms): 5 gallon pail (shippable) from EHS Put a hazardous waste label on container before filling Don’t use plastic bags, they can leak

Radioactive Materials Geiger counters, lead shielding or anything with this label Contact Sangho Nam, RI Nuclear Science Center (401) 874-9439

Pump oil Not a hazardous waste but it is collected and recycled Label “Used Pump Oil for Recycling” Include on a Hazardous Waste Pick-up Request form

Serological Pipette Disposal Decontaminated pipettes were previously collected in a cardboard box and disposed to the dumpster. NEW THIS YEAR RMW is now sent to a facility to generate energy so this waste stream will be kept out of landfill going forward Collect decontaminated pipettes and those used for media in a 31 gallon tote, available in 275-B When full return to 275-B and take a replacement Let me know you did by Fri before the pick-up cheird@uri.edu or x 4-7019

Miscellaneous Waste Streams Dispose in a biobox Micropipette Tips (decontaminated) and Boxes Dispose in a bio box lined with 2 red bags Because they are incinerated to generate energy they will no longer be sent to landfill Disposable Lab Coats (used for cell culture) Can also be disposed to a biobox

Universal Waste Is hazardous waste that has a separate set of rules Can collect for up to 1 year BUT must date it the day it comes out of service and identify it properly (labels on EHS web page)

RI e-Waste Law 2008 – Universal Waste What’s included: Computers (CPUs) Computer monitors (CRT and flat panel) Combination units (CPUs with monitors) Laptops (with a screen greater than 9 inches diagonally) Televisions (including CRT, LCD and plasma, screen greater than 9 inches diagonally) Video display devices with a screen greater than 9 inches diagonally, contains a circuit board What’s not included Printers and other computer peripherals (e.g. cables, mouse or keyboards) MUST BE LABELLED

Universal Waste Labels https://web.uri.edu/ehs/hazardous_waste/ UNIVERSAL WASTE Description: Used Lamps DATE___________________ Description: Used Cathode Ray Tubes Description: Mercury-Containing Equipment, list_______________ UNIVERSAL WASTE Description: Used Batteries DATE___________________ Description: Used Electronic Devices not Containing CRTs USED OIL – Liquid for recycling USED OIL – Solids (Speedi-dry /rags)

Universal Waste Lamps and bulbs May contain heavy metals. All get recycled. Sources: UV lamps from BSC’s; bulbs from microscopes, instruments and other equipment Label and dispose properly Universal Waste Used Lamps Date: _________ Call Recycling x 4-2840 for pick-up

Broken Lab Glass Use a cardboard box (shipping carton) lined with a plastic bag to collect glass and contain chips DO NOT OVERFILL!! When box is ¾ full, seal it with tape and label “Broken Lab Glass” Carry out to the dumpster Custodial staff have been instructed not to handle this waste stream

Batteries Collected as Hazardous Waste Only leaking lead acid batteries now All others go to Recycling. Alkaline Nickel cadmium (NiCad) Mercury oxide Lithium (duct tape terminals to prevent a fire) Lead acid SHIPPING LITHIUM BATTERIES: NEW SHIPPING REGULATIONS. Contact EHS for guidance. Do not ship yourself. Fines begin at $75 k.

EHS Contact Info Hazardous Waste Nancy Paterson 874-2592 Biological Waste Connie Heird 874-7019 Radioactive/Lasers Sangho Nam 874-9439 General information Pam McCarthy 874-7993 Questions srm@etal.uri.edu EHS web page https://web.uri.edu/ehs/