Page 262 - Demo

Safety Reference
Biological Waste Disposal, continued
 HAZARDS
Chemical wastes may be corrosive, toxic, or flammable and should be handled accordingly. If the waste material is of unknown composition, assume the material is toxic, corrosive, and flammable and take all precautions when handling the material. Contact Flinn Scientific for advice on how to identify and dispose of unknown chemical wastes.
Disposal Procedure
If the identity of the chemical waste is known, then consult the chemi- cal waste disposal section of the Flinn Scientific Catalog/ Reference Manual. To find the proper disposal procedure, look up the chemical in the chemical section of the Flinn Scientific Catalog/ Reference Manual, and find the Flinn Suggested Disposal Procedure (e.g., Disposal: #26a) in the chemical listing. Then find the Flinn Suggested Disposal Procedure in the Chemical Disposal Procedures section of the reference manual. The disposal of chemical wastes is regulated by federal, state, and local ordinances; do not perform any disposal procedure without first consulting with your local government regula- tory officials.
Type III Preserved Materials
Examples
Preserved materials used in dissection activities such as fetal pigs, frogs, rats, etc., either before or after dissection. Museum mount display materials.
 HAZARDS
Preserved materials are often fixed using formalin or formaldehyde. After the fixing process, the excess formaldehyde is usually removed and replaced with a nonformaldehyde preservative. The preservative solution and the preserved material both contain low levels of form- aldehyde, a known carcinogen, and other chemicals. Many of these chemicals are also toxic by ingestion and inhalation.
Disposal Procedure
Do not perform this procedure if your school uses a septic system for waste water treatment. No chemicals should be placed down the drain unless your school is hooked up to a municipal water treatment facility. Prior to starting this procedure, check with your local water treatment facility for any rules or regulations concerning the disposal of formaldehyde solutions.
The first step in this disposal procedure is to rinse and wash away the preservative from the specimens. The room in which this process is undertaken should be well ventilated. Transfer the preserved speci- mens to a large plastic bucket or pail and place it in a large sink. Attach a length of tubing to the cold water outlet and, wearing gloves, force the exit end of the tubing into the very bottom of the bucket. If possi- ble, use a water faucet equipped with a siphon breaker to eliminate the possibility of backflow.
Turn the water on slowly. You may want to start the water flowing before you force the tubing into the bucket to better gauge and control the water flow. A very slow, but steady, flow is desirable.
Allow the water to flow into the bottom of the bucket, forcing the preservative to overflow into the sink. Continue washing the specimens overnight or for a period of 10–12 hours to completely wash all preser- vative from the specimens.
After the wash cycle is complete, turn off the water, remove the tubing, and drain all the remaining water from the container. Let the specimens drain for an hour, and then double bag them in non- transparent plastic bags (black is preferred). Seal each bag completely and follow your local procedures for normal garbage disposal. Do not leave the specimens where students may find them, such as the trash can in the laboratory.
Type IV Living Materials
Examples
Animals such as snakes, guinea pigs, fish, etc.
1-800-452-1261
flinnsci.com
 HAZARDS
Deceased living materials may contain diseases or pathogenic microor- ganisms that may spread to humans. Deceased animals should only be handled with gloves and disposed of as quickly as possible.
Disposal Procedure
Living animals, especially reptiles, amphibians, and insects should never be released to the environment unless first checking with local authorities. Introducing new species to your local environment may result in irreparable damage to local ecosystems.
Most areas prohibit the burial of dead animals and you should review the local county’s sanitation regulations for information on disposal of dead animals. For advice, consult your local Humane Society office, the local animal shelter, highway department, or state natural resources department. A general disposal procedure is to wrap the deceased animal in newspaper, place it in a non-transparent plastic bag, and then throw it in the main trash container if this is allowed. Do not leave the animal where it may be discovered by students.
Microorganism cultures, such as protozoans, should be sterilized by as outlined earlier and then flushed down the drain.
Very small dead fish can be simply flushed down the drain if the school is hooked up to a municipal water treatment facility.
TypeV SharpsandBrokenGlass
Examples
Sharps and broken glass items. Needles, dissecting blades, glass tubing, and glass pipets.
 HAZARDS
Any sharp metal or glass object has the potential to puncture or cut the skin and deliver pathogenic organisms directly into the bloodstream in addition to creating a wound. These materials must be placed inside a hard plastic or metal container to prevent any possible physical injury.
Disposal Procedure
Check with a local hospital, health clinic, or college for assistance in disposing of sharps. Hospitals and health clinics have rigorous programs to handle their sharps and may be willing to help a local school in safely disposing of sharps.
If outside help is not available, either purchase a sharps disposal container or obtain a hard plastic or metal container and add a large “sharps” label on the outside. If using a plastic container, make sure it is a hard plastic that is not flexible and cannot be easily squeezed. PET and PVC are usually better than LDPE or HDPE plastic containers. Ideally, the bottle should have a narrow neck to prevent any possibil- ity of a student sticking their hand into the sharps container. Another option is to cut a small hole in the top of the lid to allow the sharps to be added but not easily removed.
When the sharps container is full, the container and sharps must be sterilized before disposal. After sterilization, place a cap on the bottle, wrap the container in a heavy thickness of newspaper, place it in a nontransparent plastic bag, and dispose of it following local disposal procedures. Never place a sharps container in a recycling bin.
TypeVI CommonGarbageWastes
Examples
Paper products, plastic laboratory wastes that are not contaminated with chemicals or biological material.
 HAZARDS
No hazards with these materials beyond that of normal garbage.
Disposal Procedure
If a material has been used to dispense a chemical solution, rinse thoroughly before placing it in the trash. Dispose of all other materi- als that do not have chemical or biological wastes in the normal trash following your normal trash procedures. A good practice is to place disposable laboratory items in a black plastic garbage bag and then thoroughly close the plastic bag before throwing it in the trash. This may prevent laboratory items from being discovered in the trash by students and used for personal experiments or practical jokes.
260