disposal of liquid waste

[Steven Hand <SHAND%UMDACC.bitnet@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu>]

From: shand
*** Resending note of 03/08/94 16:07
Date: 08 Mar 94 16:08:19 EST
From:  Steven Hand <SHAND@UMDACC>
To:    <listserv@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Comments: Resending note of 08 Mar 94 12:23:30 EST from Steven Hand
          <SHAND@UMDACC>

From: shand
*** Resending note of 03/08/94 12:23
Date: 08 Mar 94 12:23:30 EST
From:  Steven Hand <SHAND@UMDACC>
To:    <listserv@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Sensitivity: ========== Confidential ==========

From: steve hand


University of Maryland approach is very similar

All liquid waste is segregated - organic/solvent/aqueous by isotope
as well - users are required to label the card on the container each
time waste is entered - this serves as a running total ( conservative
value on activity) as well as a safety mechanism to avoid chemical
reactions in the same container.

Disposal of waste via sinks in the lab is forbidden by local and
university regulations - all waste is collected by the hazardous
waste personnel and taken to a TSD facility on the campus.

Waste is decayed when necessary - however the dilution factor is
so high that the limits are never approached when waste is released
to the sanitary sewer system.

Worksheets and a data base maintain all records and running totals
throughout the year - all carboys are sampled and counted for the
specific radioisotope at the Radiation Safety Office and records
maintained per NRC, state reg's.

Local regulations ( Sanitary Sewer Commission) regulations are
adhered to (ie. 6-10 ph, % of alcohols, and about 16 other
specific items - color of water etc...) are checked for each
container.  Sudan black is used to test aqueous environment of
the sample - dual phase volumes are decanted and separated at
the TSD facility.

Treatment of waste in the lab to adjust the pH is not allowed -
this constitutes a " treatment " which cannot be performed without
a permit such as the one held at the TSD facility - the only way
around this is to have the user adjust the pH as part of the
experiment - usually at the end of the experiment - otherwise it
must be carried out by hazardous waste personnel at the TSD site.

Any " active " bacteria or organisms in the liquid must be
deactivated prior to disposal such as by autoclaving - now
that I think about it I wonder what the inspectors would say about
that as far as a treatment ?  The bad part about this is if the
active agent is in a plastic container - it first has to be transferred
to a glass container then autoclaved separate from the now solid
plastic autoclaved radioactive waste.


steve