1.

1 Introduction

Every laboratory needs a guideline in order the solid or chemical waste can be
handling in a proper way. The safety of the user should be considered where they will be
guide with the proper guideline in every type of chemical they used. There is various type of
hazardous waste, which consist of acid or alkali waste. Since each of the chemical has their
own characteristic, proper labelling, storage, handling, pre-treatment and disposal of waste
should be handle in proper way.

The entire requirement should be follow accordance with state and federal
regulations. Proper waste management is dependent upon the day-to-day handling of these
wastes in the laboratory or worksite. The cooperation between the student and technician are
needed in order to manage the waste from having potential to pollute the environment and
threaten human health.

1.2 Hazardous waste

Hazardous waste is any waste that can post a dangerous view of point to human health and
environment. The hazardous waste which has characteristic of toxicity, carcinogenicity,
mutagenicity, flammability, explosive nature, chemical reactivity, corrosive nature,
infectiousness or other biologically damaging properties, which may present danger to the
life or health of living organism when released into the environment.

This university generates a numerous kind of solid and hazardous waste which
commonly comes from the laboratory. Each waste must be evaluated to determine whether or
not it is hazardous and whether or not it is subject to regulation. Some waste may be
subjected to regulation even if they are not considered hazardous waste.

The lab that are been chosen to monitor their waste management is 1B which is
Analytical chemistry laboratory. We also made a visit to the laboratory and ask the person-in-
charge about their current practices in handling of wastes. The purpose of this project is to
make a guideline in solid and hazardous waste management at the selected laboratory.
1.3 Requirement for storage of hazardous waste

Hazardous wastes that are generated at every laboratory in UNIKL MICET should be stored
at satellite accumulated areas (SAA). Before any removal of waste from the satellite area by
the Quality Alam or any respective company, satellite accumulation area play a major role by
providing safe and effective means to accumulate hazardous waste from every laboratory that
available in the university. Therefore, in order to fulfil the requirement for safety on
managing hazardous waste on campus, the following rules should be followed:

1. Waste that generated must be stored in suitable container. The generator which is the
technician themselves should provide their own waste containers. In 1B general
chemistry laboratory, the generator had provided 25L bottles for waste storage. They
also use cupboard to store waste, where each cupboard have been label with different
type of characteristics.
2. Besides, the container use to contain the waste should be compatible with the type of
waste. For corrosive waste, metal container is not suitable to contain corrosive type of
waste. Same as glass container where it also not suitable to contain hydrofluoric acid.
Any liquid waste should be contain in container that designated only for liquid type of
waste. Therefore, make sure the container is seal without any leakage present.
3. Hence, the containers must always keep it closed all time except when adding or
removing waste. Open waste container could be threaten to human health and
environment. Besides, the open waste can be evaporated, invite spills, and can cause
exposure to the people who are near the waste container. The safest action in order to
fill in the waste container is by using safety funnel to avoid any spillage of waste on
the floor.

Figure 1.0 Safety Funnel (Purdue University, 2013)

 4. The waste container should be labelled or clearly marked with description of the
contents of the waste and with the word Hazardous Waste.
5. Good condition of waste container must be always monitored by the area personnel to
avoid any leakage happen. The container must be clean without leaving any gross
chemical contamination. If the lid of the container is showing a leak kind of situation,
the person-in-charge should exchange the container to a better one. If there are
leakages, the clean up action should be made immediately without delay to avoid
exposure of waste vapour to surrounding.
6. Any waste container that are gather from the lab must be stored near the point of
generation with a supervise from the generator of the waste. The area for waste
accumulation must be authorizing. The waste container should not place at the
hallways, doorways, sinks or next to the moving equipment where possible spillage
would happen.
7. The satellite accumulation area for waste storage should never exceed 55 gallons per
SAA.
8. Thus, segregation of the container by referring the waste characteristic or chemical
compatibility is must during storage. Acids and bases should not store near each other,
a reaction may happened all of sudden. Organic acids must also store away from
oxidizing acids. Secondary containment could be an alternative for waste segregation.

1.4 Handling of waste in laboratory

1.4.1 Handling of acid waste

In lab 1B (General laboratory), acid wastes that are generated from this lab are:

Types of Acid Handling of waste Storage of waste

1. Benzoic acid Keep the waste container

2. Citric acid tightly closed in a cool and
3. Acetic acid well-ventilated area
4. Sulphuric acid
5. Nitric acid

1.4.2 Handling and storage for alkali waste

Types of alkali Handling of waste Storage of waste

1. Magnesium sulphate
1) Dispose of waste safely in 1) No specific storage is
an approved landfill. needed. Use shelves or
cabinet sturdy enough to bear
2) Recycle where possible. the weight of chemical.
Do not contaminate bodies of
water with chemical or empty However, it is not necessary
container. to strain to reach material.

2) Store in original container

2. Calcium chloride
tightly closed and in locked
1) Avoid handling causing 1) Ensure the containers are
generation of dust. Wear full empty to disposal in a
protective clothing for permitted industrial landfill.
prolonged exposure and/or
high concentrations.

2) Store at moderate
temperatures in dry, well-
ventilated area. Keep in
original container.

3) Recover and reclaim or

recycle, if practical. Should
this product become a waste,
dispose of in a permitted
 industrial landfill.

3. Copper (II) sulphate 1) The material may be 1) Avoid or control reaction

recycled if unused or if it has with peroxides. All transition
not been contaminated so as metal peroxides should be
to make it unsuitable for its
considered as potentially
intended use.
explosive.
2) Do not allow wash water
from cleaning equipment to
enter drains. Collect all wash
water for treatment before
disposal.

3) Bury residue in an
authorized landfill.

4. Sodium hydroxide 1) If want to neutralize an 1) Separated from strong acid,

acid, a dilute solution of
sodium hydroxide must be
prepared and if want to
neutralize base, hydrochloric
acid must be prepared. Cool
these solution in ice-water.
metals and foodstuff.
2) Storage must be dry, well
closed and must be stored in
area that have corrosion
resistance.

2) Use pH paper or a pH 3) Keep the container tightly

meter, and keeping the closed.
receiving flask in the ice-
bath, neutralize to pH 6.6-
7.4. Stir well while mixing
the solutions.

3) Turn on the cold water in

the sink to a vigorous stream,
and wash the neutralized
solution down the drain.

5. Sodium chloride 1) Greater than 10% or 10000 1) Should be stored in cool,

ppm must be managed as
Dangerous Waste. It should
be collected in a sealable,
compatible waste container.
dry, well-ventilated area and
kept in a securely closed
container.
2) Keep away from excessive

6. Potassium permanganate
7. Natrium acetate
1.4.3 Handling and storage of alcohol waste
Types of waste
2) A completed Dangerous
Waste label should be
attached when waste is first
added to the container.
When container is full or no
longer being used complete a
Chemical Collection Request
Form, and deliver to the
Waste Accumulation Area
Operator at building, room,
phone Number.
3) Solutions containing less
than 10% sodium chloride
may be drain discharged
1) The toxic characteristic of
the potassium permanganate
can provide negative effect
towards the aquatic
environment which it cannot
be dispose into the drains or
source of water flow. The
contractor or competent
person should organize the
disposal of the toxic chemical
for safety purpose by
referring to suggested
practice of disposal.
- dry, ventilated area.
Handling of waste
heat.
3) Protect against physical
damage.
4) Waste Sodium Chloride in
pure form must be managed
as Dangerous Waste. It should
be collected in a sealable,
compatible waste container. A
completed Dangerous Waste
label should be attached when
waste is first added to the
container.
1) The unstable characteristic
of potassium permanganate
solution makes it hard to
decompose when with a
contact with reducing agent.
2) To avoid any exposure to
light, it should be wrapped by
using aluminium foil.
1) Keep in a tightly closed
container, stored in a cool,
2) Protect against physical
damage. Isolate from any
source of heat or ignition
Storage of waste
1. 2 propanol Characteristic of 2 propanol The waste should be stored in
Can react with air and tightly closed containers in a
oxygen over time to cool, well-ventilated area
form unstable away from sunlight
peroxides that can
explode, forms
explosive mixtures,
when heated with
aluminium. Does not
compatible with
oxidizing agents.

1.5 Disposal and treatment of hazardous waste

1.5.1 Introduction

By changing the typical physical, chemical and biological characteristics of waste, proper
treatment and disposal are needed in order to minimize its possible threat to human health
and environment.

1.5.2 Pre-treatment for hazardous waste

The waste that generated is not totally safe to be disposal. Hazardous waste treatment is a
procedure that is made prior to disposal. The characteristic of physical, chemical or biological
can be change by applying a method, technique or process that designated to do so.
Neutralization of waste is a method to minimize the hazardous waste criteria and safer for
transport, increase potential for recovery, reuse or storage, or to reduce waste volume.
Example of treatment techniques includes precipitation, evaporation, and filtration or iron
exchange technology.

Before any treatment are made to the waste, the person in charge should make sure the
resulting wastes are acceptable for disposal as solid waste or discharge to sewer and not
making any risk to human health and environment. The pre-treatment processes for waste
management are including:

1. Source separation
2. Separate collection
3. Diversion to non-disposal waste management routes
4. Manual sorting
 5. Composting
6. Energy recovery
7. Mechanical treatment
8. Biological stabilisation of black bin residue
9. Rendering
10. Thermal treatment
11. Aerobic or anaerobic digestion

1.5.3 Pre-treatment for non-hazardous waste

The waste that generated from the laboratory which is solid waste should be undergo
segregation, which the activity is by sorting out recyclables such as paper, cardboard, plastics,
metal or glass to separate collection and recycling. This would ease the waste management at
the onsite and also offsite. Based on () the pre-treatment will need to meet the three point
test which is it must be a physical, thermal or biological process, it must change the
characteristic of the waste and it must do so in order to:

1. Reduce its volume; or

2. Reduce its hazardous nature; or
3. Facilitate its handling; or
4. Enhance recovery
The entire requirement stated above should be fulfilled and it must be satisfied for all the
waste to have been pre-treated.
 Types of waste Pre-treatment of waste Disposal of waste
Acid and bases A common treatment for acid bases type of waste Dilute acid and bases solutions may be
are neutralization. Different neutralization disposed of down a lab sink with abundant
methods are applied to both strong or weak acid
amounts of water provided they are treated as
and bases.
follows:
1) Dilute or weak acids neutralizing method
Step 1: Slowly stir acid in a large amount of an
Before the treatment is made, we should wear
ice-water-to dilute to about 5%
protective clothing and eyewear and work in a
fume hood if possible. Step 2: Provide a base solution of one of the
Step 1: Use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to following: sodium bicarbonate (soda ash),
neutralize the acid in a relatively large container. calcium hydroxide (slaked lime), or sodium
Add sodium bicarbonate slowly to minimize hydroxide. The base concentration should be 5
foaming. If the solution no longer foams when to 10 % for nitric and perchloric acids. A one
added sodium bicarbonate, the solution us molar solution is about 4% (4 grams per 100
neutral (with a pH 6 and 9) ml)
Step 2: Record the volume treated in the
Step 3: Slowly stir diluted acid into the base
Chemical Treatment logbook provided, the date
solution until the Ph is at least 5 but not
and the name of person in charge should be greater than
wrote.
Step 3: The treated solution are now safe to be Step 4: Slowly pour the neutralized solution
pour down the drain down the drain with large amounts of water.

2) Concentrated strong acids Hence, there should not contain any solvents

Since we are handling with strong acid solution, or metal contamination are permitted for drain
full PPE are needed while handling and the disposal ().
treatment should be made in fume hood with
gloves, apron, and face shield. Slowly proceed
with the treatment to avoid any severe burns and
damage to the equipment. If any accidental spills
or overflows happen, secondary containment
would be useful.

Step 1: Slowly dilute the concentrated acid 1-10

with cold tap water, adding acid to the water.
Step 2: add 30 mg/L of trisodium phosphate
(TSP) or 20 mg/L disodium hydrogen phosphate
to the acid to buffer solution.
Step 3: Stir and slowly add 1N sodium
hydroxide to the mixture until the mixture
reaches a ph between 6 and 9. The pH should be
check frequently by using pH paper or meter.

Step 4: Record the volume treated in the

Chemical Treatment logbook provided, the date
and the name of person in charge should be
wrote.
Step 5: The treated solution are now safe to be
pour down the drain.
2.0 Solid waste management in laboratory

2.1 Handling and storage of solid waste

Sharps waste are the item that capable of puncturing, cutting, or abrading the skin such as
glass or plastic pipettes, broken glass, test tubes, petri dishes, razor blades, needles and
syringes (if it comes from pharmaceutical laboratory). The sharp waste that was contaminated
with hazardous chemicals must be placed into puncture resistant container. If the waste comes
from glasses material, it should be placed into plastic container with lid and a proper labelled
as required. Broken glass that not contaminated with hazardous chemicals can be put in a
cardboard container, sealed and picked up a trash

Types of waste Handling of waste Storage of waste

1. Broken glassware, sharp
waste
-capable of puncturing,
cutting, or abrading the skin
Example: (glass or plastic
pipettes, broken glass, test
tubes, petri dishes, razor
blades, needles and syringes
(if it comes from
pharmaceutical laboratory)
Before any handling are
made, make sure to use gloves
to protect puncturing, cutting,
or abrading the skin. Handle
with care and
Once the container that
contain the broken glassware
are full, make sure the
container are closed and no
more broken glass are thrown
into the container.
The labelled container should
be carry to the dumpsite or
satellite accumulation area
outside the building.

2.2 Treatment and disposal of solid waste

Types of waste Pre-treatment of waste Disposal of waste

1. Broken glassware, sharp
waste
-capable of puncturing,
cutting, or abrading the skin
Example: (glass or plastic
pipettes, broken glass, test
tubes, petri dishes, razor
blades, needles and syringes
The glassware or plasticware
cannot be contaminated with
chemical including
radioactive material,
hazardous chemical or
biological substance.
Rinse the residue of the
chemical at the broken
Collect the broken glassware
into the cardboard box that
outside of the box labels
Broken Glass Only. Make
sure the label is located at the
visible to laboratory
occupants. The label can
aware the person that handle
(if it comes from glassware with a proper the waste about the potential
pharmaceutical laboratory) techniques of rinsing. hazard.