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Chemical waste is any excess, unusable, or unwanted chemical, especially those that cause damage to human health or the environment.[1] Chemical waste may be classified as hazardous waste,[2] non-hazardous waste, universal waste, and household hazardous waste.[3] Hazardous waste is a material that displays one or more of four characteristics: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity. This information, along with disposal requirements, should be available on the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Chemical waste that is radioactive, radioactive waste, requires special means of handling and disposal. Biohazardous waste, although often chemical, falls into a separate category and is handled differently.
Methods of disposal of laboratory chemical waste in the US
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) prohibits disposing of certain materials down drains.[4] Therefore, when hazardous chemical waste is generated in a laboratory setting, it is usually stored on-site in an appropriate waste carboys where it is later collected and disposed of by a specialist contractor in order to meet safety, health, and legislative requirements. For example, many university's Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) divisions/departments serve the collection and oversight role.[5][6][7][8]
organic solvents and other organic waste is is typically incinerated.[9][10]
Some chemical wastes are recycled. For example, waste elemental mercury.
Environmental pollution
Pharmaceuticals
Pharmaceuticals comprise one of the few groups of chemicals that are specifically designed to act on living cells. They present a special risk when they persist in the environment.
With the exception of watercourses downstream of sewage treatment plants, the concentration of pharmaceuticals in surface and ground water is generally low. Concentrations in sewage sludge and in landfill leachate may be substantially higher[11] and provide alternative routes for EPPPs to enter the human and animal food-chain.
However, even at very low environmental concentrations (often ug/L or ng/L), the chronic exposure to environmental pharmaceuticals chemicals can add to the effects of other chemicals in the cocktail is still not studied. The different chemicals might be potentiating synergistic effects (higher than additive effects). An extremely sensitive group in this respect are foetuses.
EPPPs are already found in water all over the world. The diffuse exposure might contribute to
- extinction of species and imbalance of sensible ecosystems, as many EPPPs affect the reproductive systems of for example frogs, mussels, and fish;[12]
- genetic, developmental, immune and hormonal health effects to humans and other species, in the same way as e.g. oestrogen-like chemicals;[medical citation needed]
- development of microbes resistant to antibiotics, as is found in India.[13]
PPCPs
The use of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) is on the rise with an estimated increase from 2 billion to 3.9 billion annual prescriptions between 1999 and 2009 in the United States alone.[14] PPCPs enter into the environment through individual human activity and as residues from manufacturing, agribusiness, veterinary use, and hospital and community use. In Europe, the input of pharmaceutical residues via domestic waste water is estimated to be around 80% whereas 20% is coming from hospitals.[15] Individuals may add PPCPs to the environment through waste excretion and bathing as well as by directly disposing of unused medications to septic tanks, sewers, or trash. Because PPCPs tend to dissolve relatively easily and do not evaporate at normal temperatures, they often end up in soil and water bodies.
Some PPCPs are broken down or processed easily by a human or animal body and/or degrade quickly in the environment. However, others do not break down or degrade easily. The likelihood or ease with which an individual substance will break down depends on its chemical makeup and the metabolic pathway of the compound.[16]River pollution
Textile industry
The textile industry is one of the largest polluters in the globalized world of mostly free market dominated socioeconomic systems. Chemically polluted textile wastewater degrade the quality of the soil and water.[19] The pollution comes from the type of conduct of chemical treatments used e.g. in pretreatment, dyeing, printing, and finishing operations[20] that many or most market-driven companies use despite "eco-friendly alternatives". Textile industry wastewater (TIWW) is considered to be one the largest polluters of water and soil ecosystems, causing e.g. "carcinogenic, mutagenic, genotoxic, cytotoxic and allergenic threats to living organisms".[21][22] The textile industry uses over 8000 chemicals in its supply chain,[23] also pollutes the environment with large amounts of microplastics[24] and has been identified in one review as the biggest pollution causing production sector.[25]
A campaign of big clothing brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma to voluntarily reform their manufacturing supply chains to commit to achieve zero discharges of hazardous chemicals by 2020 (global goal)[26][27] appears to have failed.
Planetary boundary
A study by "Scienmag" defines a 'planetary boundary' for novel entities such as plastic and chemical pollution. The study reported that the boundary has been crossed.[28][29]
Chemical compatibility guidelines
Many chemicals may react adversely when combined. It is recommended that incompatible chemicals be stored in separate areas of the lab.[30]
Acids should be separated from alkalis, metals, cyanides, sulfides, azides, phosphides, and oxidizers, as when acids combine with these types of compounds, violent exothermic reactions can occur possibly causing flammable gas, and in some cases explosions.
Oxidizers should be separated from acids, organic materials, metals, reducing agents, and ammonia, as when oxidizers combine with these types of compounds, flammable and sometimes toxic compounds can be created.
Container compatibility
When specialists dispose of hazardous laboratory chemical waste, chemical compatibility must be considered. Safe disposal requires the container to be chemically compatible with the material it will hold. Chemicals must not react with, weaken, or dissolve the container or lid. Acids or bases should not be stored in metal. Hydrofluoric acid should not be stored in glass. Gasoline (solvents) should not be stored or transported in lightweight polyethylene containers such as milk jugs. Moreover, the Chemical Compatibility Guidelines should be considered for more detailed information.[31]
Laboratory waste containers
Packaging, labeling, and storage are the three requirements for disposing of chemical waste.
Packaging
For packaging, chemical liquid waste containers should only be filled up to 75% capacity to allow for vapor expansion and to reduce potential spills which could occur from moving overfilled containers. Container material must be compatible with the stored hazardous waste. Finally, wastes must not be packaged in containers that improperly identify other non-existing hazards.
In addition to the general packaging requirements mentioned above, incompatible materials should never be mixed in a single container. Wastes must be stored in containers compatible with the chemicals stored as mentioned in the container compatibility section. Solvent safety cans should be used to collect and temporarily store large volumes (10–20 liters) of flammable organic waste solvents. Precipitates, solids, or other non-fluid wastes should not be mixed into safety cans.[32]
Labeling
All containers should be labeled with the group name from the chemical waste category and an itemized list of the contents. All chemicals or anything contaminated with chemicals poses a significant hazard. All waste must be appropriately packaged.[33]
Storage
When storing chemical wastes, the containers must be in good condition and should remain closed unless waste is being added. Hazardous waste must be stored safely prior to removal from the laboratory and should not be allowed to accumulate.[32] The container should be sturdy and leak-proof and must be labeled.[34] All liquid waste must be stored in leak-proof containers with a screw-top or other secure lid. Snap caps, mid-sized caps, parafilm, and other loose-fitting lids are not acceptable. If necessary, transfer waste material to a container that can be securely closed. Waste containers should be kept closed except when adding waste. Secondary containment should be in place to capture spills and leaks from the primary container and segregate incompatible hazardous wastes, such as acids and bases.[35]
Regulation of Chemical Waste
Chemical waste may fall under regulation such as COSHH in the United Kingdom or the Clean Water Act and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act in the United States. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as state and local regulations, also regulate chemical use and disposal.[36]
The disposal and handling of radioactive waste is a particular focus for regulatory bodies due to the environmental and health risks of radiation and the challenges of safe disposal.
Chemical waste in Canadian aquaculture
Chemical waste in oceans is becoming a major issue for marine life. There have been many studies conducted to try and prove the effects of chemicals in our oceans. In Canada, many of the studies concentrated on the Atlantic provinces, where fishing and aquaculture are an important part of the economy. In New Brunswick, a study was done on the sea urchin in an attempt to identify the effects of toxic and chemical waste on life beneath the ocean, specifically the waste from salmon farms. Sea urchins were used to check the levels of metals in the environment. It is advantageous to use green sea urchins because they are widely distributed, abundant in many locations, and easily accessible. By investigating the concentrations of metals in the green sea urchins, the impacts of chemicals from salmon aquaculture activity could be assessed and detected. Samples were taken at 25-metre intervals along a transect in the direction of the main tidal flow. The study found that there was impacts to at least 75 meters based on the intestine metal concentrations.
See also
- Industrial waste
- List of waste types
- Municipal solid waste
- Radioactive waste
- Toxic waste
- Waste management
- Water pollution
References
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- ^ US EPA, OLEM (2015-07-23). "Hazardous Waste". www.epa.gov. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ US EPA, OLEM (2015-11-25). "Household Hazardous Waste (HHW)". www.epa.gov. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
- ^ US EPA, OMS (2016-11-17). "Chemicals and Toxics Topics". www.epa.gov. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
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- ^ "Exploring Whether Chemical Management Services are a Potential Mechanism to Facilitate the Reduction, Reuse and Recycling of Chemicals in Educational Institutions" (PDF). August 29, 2022.
((cite web)): Invalid|url-status=EPA Archive document(help); line feed character in|title=at position 53 (help) - ^ Magriotis, Zuy; Saczk, Adelir; Salgado, Hélvia; Rosa, Isael (2021-07-30). "CHEMICAL WASTE MANAGEMENT IN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS". Journal of Environmental Science and Sustainable Development. 4 (1): 160–176. doi:10.7454/jessd.v4i1.1064. ISSN 2655-6847.
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- ^ "Waste incineration". Summaries of EU Legislation. Luxembourg: European Union. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
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- ^ Chakraborty, Aritra; Adhikary, Satadal; Bhattacharya, Suchandra; Dutta, Sohini; Chatterjee, Sovona; Banerjee, Diyasha; Ganguly, Abhratanu; Rajak, Prem (2023-11-27). "Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products as Emerging Environmental Contaminants: Prevalence, Toxicity, and Remedial Approaches". ACS Chemical Health & Safety. 30 (6): 362–388. doi:10.1021/acs.chas.3c00071. ISSN 1871-5532.
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- ^ EU project report summary "Pharmaceutical Input and Elimination from Local Sources", 2012
- ^ "Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products". Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-07-23.
- ^ "Pharmaceuticals in rivers threaten world health - study". BBC News. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2022.
- ^ Wilkinson, John L.; Boxall, Alistair B. A.; et al. (14 February 2022). "Pharmaceutical pollution of the world's rivers". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 119 (8). Bibcode:2022PNAS..11913947W. doi:10.1073/pnas.2113947119. ISSN 0027-8424. PMC 8872717. PMID 35165193.
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- ^ Akhtar, Muhammad Furqan; Ashraf, Muhammad; Javeed, Aqeel; Anjum, Aftab Ahmad; Sharif, Ali; Saleem, Mohammad; Mustafa, Ghulam; Ashraf, Moneeb; Saleem, Ammara; Akhtar, Bushra (28 February 2018). "Association of textile industry effluent with mutagenicity and its toxic health implications upon acute and sub-chronic exposure". Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 190 (3): 179. doi:10.1007/s10661-018-6569-7. ISSN 1573-2959.
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- ^ "Chemical pollution has passed safe limit for humanity, say scientists". The Guardian. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ Persson, Linn; Carney Almroth, Bethanie M.; Collins, Christopher D.; Cornell, Sarah; de Wit, Cynthia A.; Diamond, Miriam L.; Fantke, Peter; Hassellöv, Martin; MacLeod, Matthew; Ryberg, Morten W.; Søgaard Jørgensen, Peter; Villarrubia-Gómez, Patricia; Wang, Zhanyun; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky (1 February 2022). "Outside the Safe Operating Space of the Planetary Boundary for Novel Entities". Environmental Science & Technology. 56 (3): 1510–1521. Bibcode:2022EnST...56.1510P. doi:10.1021/acs.est.1c04158. ISSN 0013-936X. PMC 8811958. PMID 35038861.
- ^ "Chemical Compatibility and Segregation Guides". Waste Disposal. National Institutes of Health (US). Retrieved 2016-02-12.
- ^ "How to Store and Dispose of Hazardous Chemical Waste". Research Safety. University of California at San Diego. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
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- ^ "8. Management of Waste". Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Management of Chemical Hazards: Updated Version. Washington, D.C.: National Research Council (US). 2011. ISBN 978-0-309-21158-1.
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- ^ "Procedures for Laboratory Chemical Waste Disposal" (PDF). St. John's, NL: Memorial University of Newfoundland. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
- ^ Hallam, Bill (April–May 2010). "Techniques for Efficient Hazardous Chemicals Handling and Disposal". Pollution Equipment News. p. 13. Archived from the original on 8 May 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
Further reading
- Committee on Prudent Practices for Handling, Storage, and Disposal of Chemicals in Laboratories, National Research Council (16 September 1995). "7. Disposal of Waste". Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals (online book). The National Academies Press. pp. 147–150. ISBN 978-0-309-05229-0.
((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
External links
- Industrial Materials Recycling – US EPA
