University of Toronto Scarborough January 31, 2012

Rob Provost, BScManager, Environmental Protection

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Hazardous Waste Management

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Objectives Minimize amounts of waste produced for

disposal To be able to SAFELY handle chemical,

radioactive and biological wastes produced as a result of research and teaching activities

Know who Environmental Protection Services (EPS) are

To know where to get the information you need on hazardous waste disposal

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Waste MinimizationIn 2010 U of T produced :

143,000 Kg of Chemical waste, costing $ 311,000 to disposal of.22 m3 (~25,000 kg) of Radioactive waste, costing $ 175,000 to disposal of.95,000 Kg of Biological waste

How can you help? Purchasing practices Process modification [less chemicals used or

even eliminated] Not mixing with hazardous wastes Substitution - less hazardous alternatives ?

– E.g. mercury thermometers replaced with alcohol or electronic

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Regulations

All Chemical Waste generation is controlled by the Ministry of the Environment (MOE)

The University has around 64 different generator registrations and each have different waste classes registered

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Waste Generators

Each waste generators site has a Waste Generator number (eg. ON0179424)

Waste Classes (eg. 263A, 252L, 331I) Is specific to an address and site

description

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

What Waste is in your area?

Do you have Chemical waste produced in your area? What types?

Do you have Radiation waste produced in your area? What types?

Do you have Biological waste produced in your area? What types?

Do you know how your waste is handled?

Do you know who to contact for it?

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

U of TGeneral Requirements

Waste handling has the following requirements:

Packaging Labelling Storage Disposal

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Typical Chemical Lab Hazards

Flammable Corrosive Toxic Reactives

At U of T the most common composition in the research labs is:

75% solvents (most common hazard encountered in labs)

10% acids

15% others such as toxins, bases, oxidiziers etc.

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WastePackaging Never mix incompatible materials

Fire/Explosion Spill

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WastePackaging

Sealed containers

Reuse old chemical containers

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WastePackaging

Liquid Waste containers should only be fill to 75% of capacity to allow for expansion

Central Stores has green pails for Chemical Waste collection

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WasteLabelling

EPS supplies these labels to the University

Dropped off the Central Stores Area

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical Waste Storage - Local ConditionsSome chemicals can become problems by

degrading and producing hazardous by-products with:

long storage (e.g. ethers degrade to from unstable organic peroxides)

exposure to water or air (e.g. sodium metal is a solid and stable but when immersed in water produces very flammable hydrogen gas)

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WasteStorage Waste should be segregated

according to compatibility dispose of ageing containers

promptly DON’T use Bio bags or

Radiation bags to collect spill materials or leaking containers!!

Unknowns??

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical Waste Storage

FUMEHOODS

They are a safety device for the protection of laboratory personnel and not as storage areas

Defeats the purpose of having a fumehood

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WasteDisposal

Lab staff responsible for removing chemical waste from lab area to :

Central Waste Holding Facility near Central Stores

In the case of a Lab Clean-out we may send a Tech to evaluate the job

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WasteStorage

Central WasteCentral Waste

FacilityFacility

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

What happens to my Chemicals??

Segregated Labpacked TDGA Labels Loaded

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WasteDisposal – Lab Pickups

Plan ahead!! Chemical Waste can go to the Central

Facility during receiving dock hours Call-in required for p/u from individual lab Contractor only on campus 1 day ever

couple months!

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WasteDisposal – Lab CleanoutLab Closures (includes moving or renos) require

several weeks to properly deal with potentially hazardous materials. Scheduling Contractors and packaging of the hazardous materials also requires time.

1. Radioactive- Radiation Protection Services (416-978-2028) to arrange for proper decommissioning.

2. Biological- Biosafety Office (416-978-3981) so that the hazard potential may be assessed.

3. Chemical- Environmental Protection Services (416-978-7000) to arrange for the proper disposal of chemicals.

4. Furniture and Room Clean Out- Campus Services (416-287-7383) to initiate the removal of all remaining equipment and materials.

http://www.ehs.utoronto.ca/services/environmental/labdecom.htm

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical WasteDisposal – Lab Cleanout

Removal of Chemicals for a lab cleanout should be requested at least 3 week in advance!

Chemical Technician will visit the site to review what NEEDS to be removed What supplies are need to DO the pickup check that NO OTHER HAZARDS will affect

the pickup

Eg. Debris obstructing access to waste

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Chemical Waste HandlingPersonal Protective Equipment The same precautions for handling

hazardous chemicals are applied to chemical wastes

eye protection lab coats gloves

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Special Cases:Gas Cylinders

Treat as high energy sources Use smallest size required to do work Try to use local suppliers Use returnable cylinders

(check before buying) If supplier unable to accept

contact EHS officewww.ehs.utoronto.ca/services/environmental/gascyldispl.htm

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Special CaseChemically-contaminated sharps

Chemicals in trace amounts are to be collected in U of T approved yellow sharps containers

chemicals drained from sharps prior

significant amount of chemical contamination, first deactivated in accordance with MSDS

Take to Central Waste Holding Facility to place in Bio-Totes

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste Management

At U of T, researchers working with any radioactive material, require an internal permit approved by UTRPA, BEFORE work begins.

Only approved permit holders are able to order radioactive materials and must be knowledgeable in University procedures for disposal.

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementDefinition

Includes:– surplus radioactive material– materials that has come into contact

with radioactive materials (e.g. gloves, flasks)

– used in decontamination (e.g., sponges)– contaminated equipment that cannot be

cleaned

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radiation Waste Minimization

Process modification - new less toxic absorbent material used

Not mixing non hazardous with radioactive wastes

developed a delay and decay program for short-lived isotopes

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste Management

Short-lived wastes (< 90 days half life) are allowed to decay in a secure University facility until no longer radioactive then disposed as non radioactive waste.

Long-lived wastes (> 90 day half life) are sent for disposal to permitted facilities.

Wastes moved to S-101 by a Lab Technicians.

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementPackaging

Liquid and solid waste MUST be segregated containers provided by EHS Liquid container should be filled to full capacity

to maximize absorbent’s potential Waste packaged in containers that improperly ID

other existing hazards Do not place non rad waste with rad waste

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementLabelling

Waste not properly labelled will not be

removed!!

Labels provided free by EHS

* Type of label depends on type of waste.

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementLabelling - Solid

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementLabelling - Liquid

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementLabelling - Liquid

Green label < 30 days(e.g. P-32, P-33, I-131, Cr-51)

Blue label 30> Half life< 90 days

(e.g. S-35, I-60)

SEGREGATED BY HALF-LIFE OF ISOTOPE

Yellow label > 90 days(e.g. C-14, H-3)

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementStorage

Each lab should establish one clearly identified location for waste, preferable close to work done with radioactive materials.

Waste should not be stored underneath any working area or near vicinity of people who do not work with radioactive materials.

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementSpecial Cases

Animal Carcasses Gas Chromatographs Gaseous Radioactive Waste Liquid Scintillation Counting Vials (separate

Glass and Plastic Vials) Liquid Scintillation Counters Fridges, freezers or other equipment Sealed sources Shipping materials

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Radioactive Waste ManagementSpecial Cases

Needles and Blades

for trace amounts, disposed into special yellow plastic containers approved by U of T and CSA for the disposal of such waste

liquids drained into appropriate colour-coded jars and separately treated as radioactive waste

sharps with significant quantities of an isotope must be disposed as RADIOACTIVE WASTE into separate jars.

Take to S-101 for disposal

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Biowaste Management

Service provided to Biosafety certified Containment Level 2 & 3 Labs

The Central Waste Holding Facility has Bio-Totes setup to collect this waste

Biowaste includes biohazardous material, contaminated solids, glass, blades, needles and tips

NOTE: Some other labs will need Needle drop offs without a Biosafety Certificate

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Biowaste ManagementPackaging

Needles and Blades disposed into special yellow

plastic containers approved by U of T and CSA for the disposal of such waste

Fill only to indicated fill-line

Put lid on before offering for disposal

Place with in the Bio-Totes

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Biowaste Management

Biosafety certified Containment Level 1 Labs :

Waste can go directly to Regular garbage

Should the lab staff wish to autoclave before disposal use the clear unlabelled autoclave bags

Needles and blades should be take to Central Waste Holding Facility to be placed in Bio-Totes

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

More Info

U of T - Office of Environmental Health and Safety Laboratory Hazardous Waste Management Manual

www.ehs.utoronto.ca/Resources/wmindex.htm

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)-for specific chemical

(especially for incompatible mixtures)

Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Enviromental Protection Services Contact List

email: hazwaste.ehs@utoronto.ca

phone:

(416) 978-7000 for Information

(416) 946-3473 for Pickup and

Supplies

fax: (416) 971-1361