Waste Disposal Procedures Hazardous chemical waste Biohazardous waste Radioactive waste Other waste - broken glass, sharps, dry materials, containers, light bulbs, batteries Hazardous Chemical Waste Disposal Dispose of all waste promptly and properly. Attach a completed hazardous chemical waste disposal tag to the container, and bring to BSBW 232. Please call 862-2051 in advance to arrange the drop off, and to unlock the door for you. A material becomes "waste" when the individual generator determines that it is no longer useful and should be discarded. A material is "hazardous chemical waste" if it is flammable, toxic, corrosive, or reactive. "Mixed waste" (e.g. both radioactive material and hazardous chemical) is initially routed through Radiological Safety. When collecting chemical waste 1. Do not commingle different classes of hazardous chemical waste in the same waste container. Hazardous chemical waste is categorized into the following hazard classes: halogenated solvents, nonhalogenated solvents, toxic, acids (inorganic and organic), and reactives (e.g. cyanides, sulfides, water reactive chemicals, etc.). 2. Label waste container as to the contents (e.g. phenol, chloroform). 3. Keep lid on waste container at all times. When ready to dispose of chemical waste 1. When a waste container is full or ready for disposal, fill out and attach an individual hazardous waste disposal tag to each waste container. 2. Both upper and lower sections of the tag must be filled out completely and legibly. 3. Secure the tags onto the bottles using string. 4. The "REQUESTOR" is the Principal Investigator or person in charge of the lab that generated the waste. 5. Use chemical name. Do not use chemical formulas or abbreviations. 6. List all chemical components in a waste container. 7. Describe any additional hazard information about chemical contents. 8. Then bring waste to hazardous waste holding room in BSBW room 232. Call 862-2051 beforehand to have the door unlocked or to ask for assistance. Management and Disposal of Biological Waste prepared by TAMU EHSD. Also see Safe and Effective Use of the Steam Autoclave. In Texas, the Texas Department of Health (TDH) and the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC) regulates disposal of bio-hazardous waste. Local regulations of the City of College Station also apply. "BIOHAZARDOUS WASTE" means any solid or liquid waste that contains infectious material or which, because of its biological nature, may be harmful to humans, animals, plants or the environment. This includes: waste from infectious animals; bulk human blood or blood products; infectious microbiological waste (including contaminated disposable culture dishes and disposable devices used to transfer, inoculate and mix cultures); sharps; and hazardous products of recombinant DNA technology. The key requirements for TAMU's bio-hazardous waste are that it must be (1) segregated from other waste; (2) treated to eliminate the biological hazard; (3) specifically labeled to indicate the method of treatment; (4) securely packaged; (5) transported to, and placed in the dumpster by appropriately trained personnel and; (6) documented by maintenance of appropriate records. The Principal Investigator, faculty member or other person with operational responsibility shall assure compliance with the following requirements within his/her laboratory or area of responsibility. Disposal Methods Segregation of Biological Waste in the Laboratory 1) Hypodermic needles, syringes with needles, scalpel blades, razor blades, Pasteur pipettes and any other wastes that could produce laceration or puncture injuries must be disposed of as "SHARPS". Sharps must be segregated from other waste. 2) Biological waste must not be commingled with chemical waste or other laboratory trash. 3) Hazardous biological waste should be segregated from other biological waste. Container and Label Requirements for Biohazardous Waste 1) Metal sharps - Place in a rigid, puncture resistant container. Heavy walled plastic is recommended. The container should be used for encapsulation and disposal. When full, fill with plaster of paris and label the container "ENCAPSULATED SHARPS" before disposal. 2) Broken glassware - Place in a rigid, puncture resistant container such as a heavy cardboard box. Seal securely and clearly label "BROKEN GLASS". 3) Solid biohazardous wastes - Use heavy duty plastic "BIOHAZARD BAGS". Label autoclave bags with commercially available autoclave tape that produces the word "AUTOCLAVED" upon adequate thermal treatment. Apply this tape across the Biohazard Symbol on the bag before autoclaving. 4) Nonhazardous biological waste - Heavy-duty plastic bags without a Biohazard Label. Red or orange biohazard bags should not be used for nonhazardous material. 5) Liquids - Place in a heavy-duty leak proof container able to withstand thermal or chemical treatment. Do not use plastic bags to contain liquids. Handling and Transport 1) Properly trained laboratory personnel (not custodial) shall be responsible for transporting treated biological waste from the generation site to the dumpster or incinerator. Only properly trained technical personnel shall handle untreated biohazardous waste. 2) Treated waste must be properly contained and labeled before transport to the incinerator or placement in a TAMU dumpster for disposal. Treatment Methods for Biohazardous Waste 1) Metal sharps - Must be encapsulated into a solid matrix [e.g. Plaster of Paris; or a commercial encapsulant (Isolyzer)] in a properly labeled puncture resistant container, then placed in a TAMU dumpster for deposition in the landfill. 2) Broken glassware - a) Contaminated with biohazardous material - place in appropriate container, disinfect by thermal treatment, then place in a TAMU dumpster for deposition in the landfill or encapsulate in a properly labeled rigid puncture resistant container and place in a TAMU dumpster for deposition in the landfill. NOTE: Encapsulation is required if glass is commingled with sharps. b) Not contaminated - Place in a puncture resistant container, then place in a TAMU dumpster for deposition in the landfill. 3) Solid biohazardous waste - Note: Autoclave parameters [121C; 20 psi; 20 min. (minimum)]. Longer times may be required depending on the amount of waste, the presence of water and the type of container used. a) Plastic waste contaminated with biohazardous material - Place in properly labeled, leak proof container; disinfect by thermal treatment; place in a TAMU dumpster for deposition in the landfill. b) Solid microbiological waste - Place in a properly labeled, leak proof container; disinfect by thermal treatment; place in a TAMU dumpster for disposal in the landfill. c) Genetic material - Disposal of materials containing recombinant DNA or genetically altered organisms must be consistent with applicable NIH Guidelines, in addition to complying with the requirements contained in this document. 4) Nonhazardous biological waste - a) Biological waste (other than animal carcasses) that is not infectious or otherwise hazardous to humans, animals, plants or the environment may be discarded as regular municipal waste (solid) or sewage (liquid). Animal carcasses must be incinerated. b) There are no record keeping or labeling requirements for nonbiohazardous waste. 5) Liquids - Including bulk blood and blood products, cultures and stocks of etiologic agents and viruses, cell culture material and products of recombinant DNA technology should be disinfected by thermal treatment then discharged into the sewer system. Record Keeping Requirements 1) Each biohazardous waste generating entity at TAMU Department of Biology is require to maintain written records which at a minimum contain the following information: a) Date of treatment b) Approximate quantity of waste treated c) Method/conditions of treatment d) Name (printed) and initials of the person(s) performing the treatment. 2) Records must be maintained for at least 3 years for each container of biohazardous waste treated. The Biology Department Safety Technician maintains these records. 3) Individual Biohazardous Waste Treatment Logs are located on the side of each autoclave. Radioactive Waste Radioactive waste should not be comingled with other waste. Disposal should be arranged through Texas A&M University Radiological Safety Office at 845-1361. Other Waste Dry materials (e.g. paper, rags, towels, gloves, etc.) contaminated with flammable or extremely toxic chemicals must be double-bagged in heavy-duty plastic bags. The bagged materials must be treated as hazardous chemical waste. Sharps (e.g. needles, razor blades, etc.) must be placed in a rigid puncture resistant container and encapsulated with Plaster of Paris. Discard the containers of encapsulated sharps as non-hazardous trash. Broken glass should be placed in a cardboard container, taped securely shut, and labeled as broken glass. Discard the box of broken glass into the dumpster. Empty bottles can be triple rinsed, defaced, and discarded into the dumpster. Empty bottles with highly toxic residue may be treated as hazardous chemical waste. Used light bulbs may be stored in a central collection location like the second floor of BSBE, or inside room 225 in BSBW. Or you may place them in room 232 of BSBW. Periodically the used bulbs are collected by the recycling department. Used batteries may be discarded in the plastic container located outside room 227 BSBW.
