Albert Einstein College of Medicine Environmental Health and Safety

1. Albert Einstein College of MedicineEnvironmental Health and Safety Waste Disposal Training

2. WASTE DISPOSAL

3. Introduction • Disposal of waste is complicated and expensive. • There are a number of government agencies and volumes of regulations governing the proper disposal of waste. • Severe penalties may be levied against the College should waste be discarded improperly.

4. Identifying waste • Proper laboratory waste disposal begins at the experimental design stage. • When evaluating the experiment to be performed consider the types of waste that will be generated in procedure. • Consider non-hazardous alternatives to those material that may generate costly hazardous waste.

5. Minimizing waste generation • Order only the amount of material needed for the experiment. • Excessive stocks of hazardous chemicals, radioactive material and infectious agents presents serious storage, safety and disposal problems. • Again try to find non-hazardous alternatives to conduct your research.

6. Waste Types There are numerous types of waste generated at AECOM that must be discarded in separate waste containers. In most cases the disposal of these waste types must be done in accordance with federal, state or local regulations.

7. Ordinary waste Laboratory waste Infectious waste Sharps Plastic serological pipettes Broken glass/bottles Animal bedding Animal carcasses Chemical waste Chemotherapy waste Mixed waste Photographic and chemical fixer Radioactive waste Universal waste Computer monitors Refrigerator units Paint related materials Waste Types at AECOM

8. Waste Containers Once the waste containers are full, they must either be picked up by Housekeeping or the Environmental Health and Safety Department (EH&S). The containers of waste are transferred to a vendor for disposal according to applicable federal, state or local regulations.

9. Proper Waste Disposal • What follows is an explanation of the waste types at AECOM and the proper procedure for discarding the waste type. • If you generate waste that you are uncertain about the proper procedure for disposal contact the EH&S at x4150.

10. Ordinary Waste • This is waste that is generated in an office or household setting. • It includes paper products, product wrapping, newspapers and food and beverage containers. • Housekeeping removes the waste from waste baskets and discards it in the appropriate container.

11. Ordinary Trash Cardboard paper products Newspaper product wrappers Cans Removed by Sanitation Department

12. Laboratory Waste noninfectious • This is waste that is generated when conducting research that is nonpathogenic (BSL-1). • It may include gloves, pipettes, culture dishes and conical tubes. • When the red bin is nearly full a laboratory worker must seal or tie the red bag. • Housekeeping will then cover the bin and remove it for proper disposal.

13. Laboratory Waste noninfectious • Gloves • Plastic Pipettes • Flasks • Plates • Dispensing tips • Eppendorff tubes • Any item that appear or has been used in medical research Red Medical Waste Bin

14. Infectious Materials • This is pathogenic waste, BSL-2 or BSL-3. • This waste must be disinfected before discarding into a red bin. • Either autoclave the waste in an autoclave bag or chemically treat the waste. Once the infectious material is neutralized it may be discarded into the red bin.

15. Autoclave Infectious Waste • Follow appropriate procedures for operation • Use only autoclave bags or containers in autoclave • Remove waste from autoclave upon completion of cycle. • Do not autoclave chemicals or radioactive material.

16. Chemical Disinfectant • Bleach may be used to disinfect contaminated items. • 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. • It should be freshly prepared each day. • Prepare a fresh bottle of bleach solution each day as it quickly becomes ineffective.

17. Infectious Materials (cont.) All BSL 3 Containment Facility waste must be autoclaved prior to disposal.

18. Infectious Materials (cont.) • When the red bin is almost full it is the responsibility of laboratory workers to seal/tie the bag. • Housekeeping will then cover the bin and remove it for proper disposal.

19. Autoclave or chemical disinfect then dispose in the red medical waste bin Culture dishes, vessels Transfer pipettes Discarded live and attenuated cultures Human blood and blood products Tissue specimens (excluding animals parts or carcasses) Gloves or other protective equipment Infectious Materials

20. Sharps Disposal • Sharps are a special type of laboratory waste that must be discarded in a separate container (Sharps Container). • Sharps include syringes with or without needle, needles, glass pipettes, suture needles, slides and coverslips, scalpel, tweezers, razor blades and broken vials • If infectious disinfect by autoclaving before disposal into medical waste bin

21. Sharps Disposal (cont.) • When the sharps container is full it is the responsibility of the laboratory worker to close and seal the container and place it in a red bin. • When the red bin is almost full it is the responsibility of laboratory workers to seal/tie the bag. • Housekeeping will then cover the bin and remove it for proper disposal.

22. Needles Syringes with or without needle Suture needles Glass pipettes Slides and coverslips Scalpel Tweezers Razor blades Broken vials Sharps Disposal If infectious disinfect by autoclaving before disposal into medical waste bin

23. Plastic Serological Pipettes • Plastic pipettes may contain residual liquid. Therefore, to minimize contamination: • Place them in a cardboard box which has been lined with a plastic bag. • When the box is full seal and discard it into a laboratory waste container.

24. Plastic Serological Pipettes • Pipettes need to be placed in a lined box • If infectious, chemically disinfect or autoclave • Dispose in red medical waste bin

25. Broken Glass/Bottles • Place pieces in a cardboard box, seal with tape and dispose in ordinary trash • Glass must be clean in order to go into the ordinary trash • If contaminated place in red medical waste bin

26. Animal Bedding • Contains urine and feces from animals. • If bedding was used with infectious agents it must be autoclaved or chemically treated and discarded in a red bin. • If it is not infectious than it may be discard in the ordinary waste. • If it was used with animals containing radioactive material it must be treated as radioactive waste. This will be discussed in more detail later.

27. Animal Bedding Non-infectious Infectious Autoclave or chemically disinfect

28. Animal Carcass Disposal • Animal carcasses should be stored in a freezer prior to disposal. • If anesthesia is used, you should allow animal to off-gas in the fume hood before disposal. • Animals used with radioactive material may need to be treated as radioactive. This will be discussed in more detail later.

29. Animal Carcass Disposal Freezer location: • Ullmann 1008 • Chanin 617 • Kennedy B26 • Do not store excessive carcasses in your lab freezer

30. Chemical Waste Pick up • Chemical waste may be generated when conducting biomedical research. • This waste must not be discarded down the sink. • It must be collected in a container and transferred to EH&S for proper disposal. • All containers to be picked up by EH&S must have a Hazardous Waste ticket affixed to it.

31. Chemical Waste Pick up • Chemical disposal is free • Do not dump down the drain • Do not dump in ordinary trash or red medical waste bin • Do not allow chemicals to evaporate in the fume hood

32. Chemical Waste Pick up If you require a pick up, a copy of this form must be forwarded to F-800 by mail or fax (x8740) You may also obtain a pick up by submitting a form online via the EH&S website: www.aecom.yu.edu/ehs

33. Chemical Waste Pick up • A waste label must be placed on the waste container as soon as the first drop of waste is added • A waste label must be placed on all hazardous waste containers, even if the original label is present on the chemical bottle

34. Hazardous Waste label • Are required by the New York City Department of Environmental Conservation. • Label must contain the words “Hazardous Waste” • The date must identify when the container was filled • The full name of the chemical(s) must be written out

35. Hazardous Waste label (cont.) • Labels can be obtained from F-800 or by calling x4150 or • Labels may also be obtained at the EH&S website at http:/www.aecom.yu.edu/ehs/. • Under no circumstances may a container labeled with the words “Hazardous Waste” be disposed in the regular trash.

36. Disposal of Empty Bottles • Chemical bottles must be rinsed three times • Label must be defaced or removed • Dispose in the ordinary trash • Media and saline bottles may also be disposed this way

37. Chemical Consolidation • In order to save money, AECOM currently consolidates flammable and aldehyde chemicals waste into 55 gallon drums. • To insure the safety of all workers involved refer to the list of approved chemicals for consolidation.

38. Approved Chemicals for Consolidation • Acetone • Acetonitrile • Benzene • Cyclohexanone • Ethanol • Ethyl acetate • Ethylbenzene • Methanol • Methyl ethyl Ketone • Nitrobenzene • Toluene • Xylene

39. Gel Containers • Used for high amounts of acrylamide and/or ethidium bromide gels • Do not place conical tubes, sharps or gloves in container • Line with plain plastic bag, do not use biohazard bag • Requires chemical waste pick up form for disposal

40. Chemotherapy Waste All waste derived from chemotherapy must be discarded as hazardous waste

41. Mixed Waste • If your research involves generating this type of waste, you should consult with the radiation or laboratory safety officer for appropriate disposal procedure. • It is important to note that residues from incompatible chemical may react and cause pressure buildup and even explode.

42. Chemical and biological Animal tissues in formalin Chemical with Radiological Scintillation vial in with dry solid Biological with Radiological Radioactive animals Halogenated waste with non-halogenated waste Lab supplies mixed with chemical or radiological Gloves or tubes mixed with gel waste Needles mixed with radiation waste Solvents with aqueous waste Buffer solutions mixed with flammables Incompatible chemicals Solvents with acids Mixed Waste

43. PHOTOGRAPHIC and CHEMICAL FIXER DISPOSAL Silver is a heavy metal which, in concentrations exceeding 5 ppm, is regulated by the EPA under Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) as hazardous waste. Image processing is, by far, the major source of silver-containing wastes produced at AECOM.  

44. PHOTOGRAPHIC and CHEMICAL FIXER DISPOSAL Photographic paper and x-ray film have an emulsion of fine silver halide crystals which is released in excess in the fixer solution. Basically, the fixer stops the chemical reaction initiated by the developer and the undeveloped silver is released by the film and dissolves in the fixer.  Fixer used for gel radiography and other film developing procedures will generate enough silver in concentrations which prohibits drain disposal.

45. PHOTOGRAPHIC and CHEMICAL FIXER DISPOSAL • Laboratories have two options for disposal of used fixer solutions: • Run spent fixer through a silver recovery unit which makes the waste non-hazardous by reducing the amount of silver in the solution. Once the material has gone through a silver recovery unit the waste is acceptable for drain disposal. • Collect, label, and transfer used fixer via EH&S.

46. Silver Recovery Unit

47. Minimize generation Identify and segregate waste Long term (H-3 and C-14) Intermediate (S-35 and I-125) Short lived (P-32) Use sink disposal limits Complete waste ticket for pick up Keep disposal records Radioactive Waste Disposal

48. Disposal • Do not dispose of radioactive waste in: • Laboratory Waste containers (Red Bins) • Ordinary “black bag” waste containers • Use only approved radioactive waste containers supplied by Radiation Safety • Container will have the warning label “Caution Radioactive Material”

49. Short Lived Waste • Intermediate and short lived waste must be separated according to isotope into different containers. • Label the container with the isotope and document the isotope, amount and date on the radioactive material inventory form. S-35 P-33 S-35 P-33 S-35, P-33 I-125, Cr-51 P-32

50. Long Lived Waste • Place waste in one of the following containers below • Label the container with the isotope and document the isotope, amount, and date on the radioactive material inventory form • Note: H-3 and C-14 may be placed into the same container • When full, complete a radioactive waste ticket. Attach one copy to the container and mail (F-800) or fax (x8740) the other copy to EH&S