GUIDELINE FOR THE DRAIN DISPOSAL OF CHEMICALS

Contents:

· Management of Hazardous Waste

· Safety Hazards

· Reducing Volume of Hazardous Chemical Wastes

· Safe Disposal by the Sanitary Sewer

· .... Corrosives

· ........ Not Included

· .... Solvents

· ........ Not Included

· .... Photographic Chemicals

· Do Not Dispose via Sanitary Sewer...

· Procedure for Non-Drain Disposal

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MANAGEMENT OF HAZARDOUS WASTE:

The management of hazardous waste is regulated at the federal level by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the authority of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). The following sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) contain regulations that are pertinent to generators of hazardous waste:

• 40 CFR 260 - Hazardous Waste Management System: General
• 40 CFR 261 - Identification and Listing of Hazardous Waste
• 40 CFR 262 - Standards Applicable to Generators of Hazardous Waste
• 40 CFR 263 - Standards Applicable to Transporters of Hazardous Waste
• 49 CFR 171 - General Information, Regulation, and Definitions
• 49 CFR 172 - Hazardous Materials Tables and Hazardous Materials Communications Regulations

At the state level, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection also regulates the disposal of hazardous waste. These regulations are contained within the following:

• …………………………………

SAFETY HAZARDS:

In accordance with these regulations, District Policy prohibits "the indiscriminate drain-disposal of chemicals/materials." This policy was adopted because the inappropriate disposal of certain chemicals into our sanitary sewer system may create a variety of hazards including the following:

• Fire and/or explosion hazards within the drain system.
• Inadvertent mixing, within the drain system, of incompatible chemicals from different laboratories.
• Corrosion of drainpipes.
• Chemical exposure hazards to plumbers.
• Escape of volatile, toxic and/or malodorous substances.
• Addition of unacceptable amounts of toxic substances (e.g., certain heavy metals) to our sewage sludge and effluent.

REDUCING VOLUME OF HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL WASTES:

In an effort to reduce the volume of hazardous chemical waste that must be disposed of by costly third party waste disposal vendors, guidelines for drain disposal of certain commonly available chemicals have been developed.

In determining a chemical's suitability for drain disposal, its solubility in water, boiling point, odor, corrosiveness, and toxicity must all be considered. Individuals should never assume that their waste chemicals are safe for drain disposal.

SAFE DISPOSAL BY THE SANITARY SEWER:

The following chemicals have been determined to be safe for disposal via the sanitary sewer system.

1. Mineral acids and alkalies that are within the pH range of 3-11 before they are poured into the drain. Dilution or neutralization to achieve this range must never be attempted or assumed to be accomplished within the drain itself. This must be accomplished with a water flush during and after disposal to flush the material from the traps and piping. Most labs have glass or dura-iron piping that will accommodate the disposal of corrosives within this pH range. If you are unsure of the piping material in your drain system, check before disposing of any chemicals.
   
   Corrosives - The corrosives approved for disposal include the following:
• sulfuric acid
• hydrochloric acid
• phosphoric acid
• sodium hydroxide
• potassium hydroxide

NOT Included - This does not include the following acids:

• hydrofluoric acid
• nitric acid
1. Solvents - Small amounts of certain solvents that are used for rinsing glassware, provided that enough water is added to ensure that the solvent comprises less than 2% of the final mixture.
   
   This includes the following:
• short chain alcohols (e.g., methanol, ethanol, and propanol)
• xylenes
• hexane
• toluene
• acetone

NOT Included - This does not include:

• benzene
• chlorinated hydrocarbons (e.g., dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, and perchloroethylene)
• highly volatile ethers (e.g., diisopropyl or diethyl ether)
2. Photographic Chemicals - Used photographic chemicals can be disposed via the drain in the same manner as corrosives EXCEPT for bleach fix in color processing, and used fixer.

DO NOT DISPOSE VIA SANITARY SEWER:

- Other than those listed above, no chemical wastes shall be disposed of in drains without prior written approval. With respect to drain disposal, those wastes that contain the following chemicals are of particular concern:

• Heavy metals (e.g., mercury, lead, nickel, silver, copper, zinc, cadmium).
• Flammable organic solvents (e.g., tetrahydrofuran).
• Malodorous chemicals (e.g., mercaptans).
• Highly toxic chemicals (e.g., cyanides).
• Explosive chemicals (e.g., azides, peroxides).
• All pesticides.
• Chlorinated hydrocarbons (e.g., trichloroethylene, methylene chloride).

PROCEDURE FOR NON-DRAIN DISPOSAL:

- In order to ensure the proper disposal of chemical wastes, individual generators must use the following procedure:

1. Collect all chemical wastes in appropriate containers that are properly labeled.
2. Notify Facilities for arrangement and disposal of the waste(s).