Frequently Asked Questions (Facility/Laboratory Waste Streams)
SELECT AN OPTION: FACILITIES | LABORATORIES
HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL
LIGHT BALLASTS
- Can a light ballast be disposed in the regular trash?
- How do I know if a ballast contains Polychlorinated Biphenyl's ( PCB's)?
- What should I do with NON LEAKING PCB ballast?
- What should I do if the PCB ballast is LEAKING?
- What should I do with NON LEAKING, NON PCB Ballasts?
- What should I do with LEAKING, NON PCB Ballasts?
- How do I establish a collection area and arrange for the removal/recycle of ballasts?
BATTERIES
- Are spent batteries hazardous waste?
- How should I dispose of spent alkaline batteries? (AAA, AA, C, D, 9 volt etc.)
- What should I do with LEAKING batteries (LEAD ACID)
FLUORESCENT METAL HALIDE LAMPS
- What should I do with spent (intact) NON BROKEN lamps? (Fluorescent, Ultra Violet, Mercury Bulbs)
- What should I do with spent BROKEN lamps? (Fluorescent, Ultra Violet, Mercury Lamps)
PAINTS
- I just finished going through the stock of various paints we have used over the years, there are many old cans and colors that we do not have a use for, how should I dispose of them?
- I have a small amount of latex paint, its in a semi-solid state after having sat around for a while, can I solidify the paint and throw it into the trash?
FIXER
CHIP TANKS
ETHIDIUM BROMIDE
- How should I manage and dispose of ethidium bromide waste?
- Can I use bench top ethidium bromide extraction/filtration units?
CHARACTERISTIC OF REACTIVITY
DRUG ENFORCEMENT AGENCY REGULATED SUBSTANCES
SHARPS
- What is a sharp, and how do I manage them?
- I do not work with biological material, but use and generate sharps (hypodermic needles, Pasteur pipettes, broken medical glassware, scalpel blades, disposable razors, and suture needles) which are put in a sharps container. How do I properly dispose of my sharps container?
SECONDARY CONTAINMENT
- What happens if our secondary containment bins used for hazardous waste storage and segregation becomes contaminated over time? Should I throw them away?
- How can I properly segregate incompatible waste containers?
LABELS
TRAINING
GLASSWARE RINSING
- I often wash and dry my glassware with acetone, is it ok to pour the "acetone rinse" down the drain?
- Can acetone be discharged to drain?
- Can I treat and rinse glassware that is contaminated with reactive residues or high hazard chemicals so it is no longer contaminated with the compound?
EMPTY CONTAINERS
TREATMENT
- Can quenching be used to react substances prior to disposal?
- Can pH be adjusted via neutralization so that it can be poured down the drain?
- Can compounds be modified structurally so that they are not as hazardous?
HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL
- How much does it cost to analyze and dispose an unknown waste?
- How much does it cost to dispose of hazardous waste?
HAZARDOUS WASTE DETERMINATION
SINK DISPOSAL
