Research and Educational Laboratory Waste Reduction

Reduction of pollutant emissions associated with research and educational activities is an important objective consistent with national environmental policy. Adoption of waste minimization carries with it a tremendous potential for designing pollution out of future industrial processes.

In 1989, U.S. EPA proposed a new pollution prevention policy making a commitment to shift its focus from controlling pollution after the fact to preventing it at the source. The Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 emphasizes this shift in the environmental policy.

The adoption of waste minimization by the research and educational community carries with it a tremendous potential for designing pollution out of future industrial processes right in the lab. Good pollution prevention practice in the research and educational environment will develop an awareness of proper waste management and help raise a new generation of environmentally conscious scholars, engineers, and workers.

The chemical industry is discovering that their professional chemists are knowledgeable about pollution prevention concepts. They are able to identify, develop, and implement effective pollution prevention technologies. It is imperative that laboratory professionals from all disciplines be educated on pollution prevention concepts during their academic training in order for pollution prevention to become a standard in industry.

One factor that can greatly speed the incorporation of pollution prevention into industrial manufacturing processes is addressing pollution prevention issues in the classical chemistry curriculum. Research and educational institutions have unique waste management problems. Waste volume is not large compared to the typical industrial operation, but the diversity of wastes is considerable. Literally thousands of wastes are generated in laboratories as well as other operations such as arts, printing, photography, maintenance, and vocational programs. Decentralization in decision making is characteristic of the management structure of research and educational institutions. These facts mean that special considerations are needed when designing a pollution prevention program for a research and/or educational institution.

Laboratories have often turned to the use of lab-packs for the disposal of small quantities of hazardous waste. Lab-packs have provided a simple, short-term solution for the disposal of small quantities of chemicals. The increasing long-term costs and liability associated with the disposal of lab-packs makes them a less-than-desirable management option. Land Disposal Restrictions (LDR) enacted by the U.S.EPA and amendments to the LDR by states may further limit this option.

Pollution prevention should be as much a part of doing business as worker safety and product quality are. Successful pollution prevention begins with a strong commitment to prevent generation of wastes. With pollution prevention policies in place, everyone in the lab should be involved.

Better operating practices are procedural or institutional policies that result in a reduction of waste. Some examples are: 

1. Waste stream segregation 



2. Personnel practices: 
• Management initiatives 
• Training 
• Employee incentives 
 
3. Procedural measures 
• Documentation 
• Material handling and storage 
• Material tracking and inventory control 
• Accounting practices 
 
4. Loss Prevention practices 
• Spill prevention 
• Preventive maintenance 
• Emergency readiness 

Management Practices

• Centralize waste management and appoint a safety/ waste management officer. This will facilitate a coordinated and efficient implementation of regulations, institutional policies, and waste reduction goals. It also provides an information clearinghouse for the staffs seeking advice. Because of the semiautonomous climate in which most research is conducted, development of an organizational mind-set is extremely important. Without this, further efforts may have little or no effect. Establish annual goals for institution-wide and departmental waste reduction. First determine past yearly totals of waste generation, then assess economic and technical feasibility for establishing and achieving specific reduction goals. 



• Establish an inventory control program to trace chemical usage from cradle to grave. Perhaps most important, always be aware of the status of hazardous waste. This task can be partially accomplished by setting up a computer tracking and inventory system to track hazardous waste generation. This will promote sharing of chemicals by common users, identify users of extremely hazardous materials and high volume users, and delineate points where waste reduction options are needed. 



• A Waste Exchange can be utilized when the material to be disposed might be reused. In laboratory facilities, a waste exchange is generally limited to unopened containers which have not been contaminated. A periodic newsletter can be used to alert laboratory personnel to chemicals which are available. If an on-site waste exchange is not a practical option, there are several regional waste exchanges. Contact Ohio EPA Office of Pollution Prevention for more information on waste exchanges in your area. 



• Conduct routine self-audits for all laboratories to minimize reagent accumulation and maximize recycling and sharing of surplus materials. 

Chemical Purchasing Policies

• Tighten puchasing controls. Institute procedures that are designed to restrict hazardous chemical purchases to those needed for the current instructional or research programs and in minimal amounts that reflect short term use. Do not buy extra chemicals in bulk for supposed "savings". A centralized purchasing program can monitor requests for chemicals, implement policies such as staggered deliveries, sharing of chemicals among common users, and plans for leftover chemicals. 



• Consider disposal cost at time of purchase. Many chemicals deteriorate with time. When they must be removed, the disposal cost may be 20 to 50 times the original purchase price. The real cost of chemicals should be regarded as the initial purchase price plus any ultimate disposal costs. Disposal costs can often offset savings from buying in quantity. 



• Consider handling and disposal requirements. If the facility does not have adequate storage and safety provisions for a chemical, its purchase should be discouraged. Try to use nonhazardous chemicals or those that are suitable for reuse. 



• Reduce expired stock. Negotiate expiration dates of chemicals with suppliers based on their intended use. Order reagents in amounts needed and stock smaller containers of chemicals. This helps prevent waste due to surplus or shelf life expiration. 



• Use up old stock. Rotate chemical stocks to avoid expiration of their shelf life. Note expiration dates. Use a "first in, first out" policy to keep chemicals from becoming outdated. Avoid donations of chemicals. Do not accept donated chemicals or "free samples" unless they meet a specific need, as they can become a future waste problem. 

Proper Training

• Provide employee training. The major generating departments should have a training program for all those who may generate or handle hazardous materials. The training should include chemical hazards, spill prevention, preventive maintenance and emergency preparedness and response. Soliciting employee suggestions for waste reduction ideas promotes employee participation. 



• Educate all personnel who may generate or handle hazardous materials on the benefits of waste minimization and specific techniques for reducing waste generation. Communicate information through departmental meetings, memos, seminars, presentations, and brochures. Provide special training for procurement staff to raise awareness of the exit costs of unused chemicals. 

Laboratory Practices

• Microscale experiments. These processes are specifically designed to scale down the volumes of chemicals used in laboratory experiments and generate less hazardous waste. The scale of starting material can be reduced 100-fold, leading to a parallel reduction in solvents required for these experiments. Microscale practices decrease the hazard of fire and explosion, and reduced exposure to harmful vapors. For more information please contact the 




National Microscale Chemistry Center
315 Turnpike St.
N. Andover, MA 01845 
Phone: (508) 837-5137 
 



• Increase use of instrumentation and alternative teaching methods. Modern instrumentation not only achieves more reliable results but also reduces chemical usage. Alternative teaching methods such as interactive video chemistry lab offer an alternative to the traditional "wet" chemistry laboratory, reducing the use of chemicals and the potential hazards involved. 



• Substituting less toxic/ hazardous compounds, and/ or using an entirely different experiment is often practical. For example, substitute sodium hypochlorite for sodium dichromate; use alcohol for benzene; substitute cyclohexane for carbon tetrachloride in the standard quantitative test for halide ions; and replace acetamide with stearic acid in phase change and freezing point depression experiments. In most cases, specialty detergents, potassium hydroxide, or sonic baths can be used very effectively in place of chromic acid solutions to clean glassware. 



• Laboratory experiments may be designed to eliminate waste. During experiments include certain steps which will eliminate hazardous end products by reusing the material for other reactions. This has the benefit of teaching students to avoid generating hazardous wastes, and take responsibility for their own wastes. 



• Pre-weigh chemicals for student usage in the teaching labs when appropriate. This will reduce waste by spills and other mishandling. Students can participate in pre-weighing and handling exercises. 



• Reuse or recycle spent solvent. When cleaning with solvent, reuse the spent solvent for the initial cleaning and use the fresh solvent only for the final rinsing. 



• On-site distillation and reuse can be employed in some cases. Advantages include the reduction of disposal costs and the reduction of purchases of large quantities of new solvent. Distill and reuse solvent for classroom experiments or as cleaning agent where ultra pure solvent is not required. Small solvent distillers are available in a variety of sizes. Check with fire and worker safety regulations regarding on-site solvent distillation operation. 



• Segregate waste streams. A properly labeled container for each waste stream should be provided, thus providing for better waste management at less cost. Do not mix hazardous waste with nonhazardous waste. Avoid dilution of hazardous waste. Include waste segregation as part of the educational process. Segregate recyclable wastes from nonrecyclable wastes. Segregate solvent in a closed top drum and recycle. Segregate used oil from other wastes. 



• Segregate precious metal wastes such as those containing platinum, palladium, and rhodium since they can be recovered using chemical procedures specific to the particular metals. Silver containing solutions from photographic and x-ray facilities can be sent to commercial firms that specialize in recovering valuable silver. Many local photo shops will even take photo waste free of charge. 



• Waste minimization technologies can be applied to the management of metallic wastes and their solutions. Waste mercury can easily be recycled depending on the type or degree of contamination. Contact Ohio EPA Office of Pollution Prevention for more information about commercial mercury recyclers.  



• Provide a designated safe facility for waste storage, segregation and treatment. This promotes proper management of hazardous waste and aid in waste reduction. 
• Label incoming chemicals. When stocking new chemicals, label with purchasing date, and add storage code and safety precautions. Include information required by workers right-to-know regulations. 



• Maintain labels. Routinely inspect and clean old containers, tighten lids, and maintain legible labels. Re-label as necessary. Unidentified reagents and wastes cannot be legally shipped for disposal and present a particularly troublesome waste management problem. 



• Develop an "orphan chemical exchange" program by running inventory of unused reagent chemicals for use by other laboratories. This keeps surplus materials from being unnecessarily discarded. This can be set up as a special stockroom where unused reagents can be returned and offered to others. Alternatively, a material exchange sheet containing "available" and "wanted" listings can be created as part of an inventory control system. Ohio EPA Office of Pollution Prevention offers case studies on orphan chemical exhange programs in Ohio. In some cases, it may be possible and profitable to coordinate with different laboratories to have instruction done at one centralized location. This would allow consolidation of laboratory waste generation and its management. 

Conclusion

The best way to manage the waste problem is to prevent waste wherever possible. 

Sources

American Chemical Society. 1985. Less Is Better. Washington, DC.

California Department of Health Services. 1988. Waste Audit Study: Research and Instructional Institutions. Sacramento, CA.

Michigan State Board of Education. 1992. Pollution Prevention in Schools. Lansing, MI.

National Research Council. 1983. Prudent Practices for Disposal of Chemicals from Laboratories. National Academy Press.

North Carolina Department of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources. 1986. Management Strategies and Technologies for the Minimization of Chemical Wastes from Laboratories. Raleigh, NC.

Rice, S.C. October 24, 1988. Minimizing Wastes from R&D Activities. Chemical Engineering. Pg 85-88.

Sanders, H.J. 1986. Hazardous Waste in Academic Labs. Chemical and Engineering News. 64:21-31.

USEPA. 1990. Guides to Pollution Prevention: Research and Educational Institutions. EPA/625/7-90/010.

USEPA. 1990. Guides to Pollution Prevention: Selected Hospital Waste Streams. EPA/625/7-90/009.

USEPA. 1996. Partners for the Environment - Green Chemistry Challenge. http://es.epa.gov/partners/chemstry/chemstry.html.

This is the 16th in a series of fact sheets Ohio EPA has prepared on pollution prevention. For more information call the Office of Pollution Prevention at (614) 644-3469.