University of Toronto Mississauga
December 13, 2010
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 and
radioactive wastes produced as a result of research and teaching activities
To know where to get the information you need on hazardous waste disposal
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Waste MinimizationIn 2009 U of T produced :
137,000 Kg of Chemical waste, costing $ 270,000 to disposal of.22 m3 (~25,000 kg) of Radioactive waste, costing $ 175,000 to disposal of.70,000 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
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Chemical WasteLabelling
EPS supplies these labels to the University
Dropped off the Receiving 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 outside the South Building receiving area
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 Cleanout
Decommissioning of any area may 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 (905-569-4830 ) to initiate the removal of all remaining equipment and materials.
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Chemical WasteDisposal – Lab Cleanout
Removal of Chemicals for a lab cleanout should be requested at least 2 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
Contact Biowaste for pickup and disposal 416-946-3473
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 are removed & packaged by a University technician.
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 - 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 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.
These are collect by the Rad Techs
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Biowaste Management
Service provided to Biosafety certified Containment Level 2 & 3 Labs
Supply Biowaste 20L Pails, Tags, pickup and information
Biowaste includes biohazardous material, contaminated solids, glass, blades, needles and tips
Pails CANNOT be autoclaved under any circumstances
NOTE: Some other labs will need Needle pickups without a Biosafety Certificate
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
We Take Bags!
DO put in the bags: Soft items: eg. Gloves,
wipes, filter paper Non-sharp plasticware: eg.
eppendorf tubes, tissue culture bottles, petri dishes
DON’T put in bags: Glassware Pipettes Tips Or anything else that could
break or leak from the bag – put these items directly into the biohazard pails.
The university is committed to being environmentally friendly, but we need your help. This will reduce contractor
trips and the amount of plastic going to landfills.
To prevent spills all bags must be double bagged and tied shut. For identification purposes, please write your
Biosafety certificate number on each bag with a marker.
Office of Environmental Health and Safety
Biowaste Management Labelling
Waste not properly labelled will not be removed!!Labels provided free by EPS
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 the Biowaste
pails for collection
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 collected in the appropriate containers and call Biowaste for collection 416-946-3473
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: [email protected]
phone:
(416) 978-7000 for Information
(416) 946-3473 for Pickup and
Supplies
fax: (416) 971-1361