Chromatography Forum

I know this has been covered before , and Acetonitrile etc should always be disposed of by a proper disposal company....However, my questions are.

1. Is there any health + safety / government website (UK) discussing the rules of this?

2. If I had a small amount of solvent - eg 1ml in 5Litres of non hazardous waste, would this have to go for solvent disposal.........and.......

If yes - then how about 0.01ml/L or 0.001ml/L etc.?

If no - then are there legal limits for dilute disposal of solvents down the sink?

I hope to hear some interesting discussions about this, as it has provoked lots at our lab.

James

Dear tayzyboy:

This is a big topic. Since I am in the USA, I have some suggestions:

1. If the waste contains a carcinogen (e.g. Arsenic, etc.), it can not go down the sink.
2. If the waste is extremely toxic (e.g. contains Barium, etc.), it can not go down the sink.
3. If the waste contains some volatile organics (eg. Acetonitrile, Methanol, Methylene Chloride, THF, etc.) it must be disposed of properly (i.e. by disposal service).
4. Most neutral salts can be dumped into the sink. Check with US EPA for regulations.

Alfred.