Chemical waste
Hazardous Materials Facility coordinates the disposal of chemical waste in college including wastes from from teaching and research labs, workshops and storerooms. Waste that exhibits prescribed properties is considered hazardous. Prohibited wastes will require specialist attention by the producer, HMF or an external source. Chemical wastes are divided into streams:
Liquid wastes:
- Organic solvent waste.
- Toxic and corrosive liquids.
Solid wastes:
- Waste silica gel, chemically contaminated sharps and waste personal protective equipment.
Lab smalls:
- Discarded or unwanted laboratory reagents and expired chemicals - processed using the LabCup system.
Disposal procedure
A valid iProc purchase order is required before waste can be accepted. Orders must be received in time for opening times.
Order procedure:
- Enter the product code into the iProc Main Store search field in iProc and add the item(s) to your basket.
- Other items e.g. solvents and consumables may be entered on the same order.
- A unique ID (e.g. WXXX), must be included in the note to supplier field for certain iProc hazardous waste orders. Note: IDs relate to the transaction, not the waste type.
You need an ID when:
- The waste is not one of the catalogue items.
- Your waste is one of the unspecified wastes (not mentioned by name) in the catalogue e.g. HW001 Hazardous liquid.
- A lab smalls disposal project.
To obtain an ID please email HAZMAT@tcd.ie the following details:
- Chemical name and concentration of constituents, and solvent, if relevant.
- Net capacity (litres or kilos).
- Packaging size and type and a photo of the item(s).
Note: Gas canisters are subject to a visual inspecion before shipping and may not be accepted if they are not in good condition.
The following standard waste streams are included in our oracle Main Store catalogue. Click on each item for permitted contents.
Please note that VAT is not added for all internal trade transactions.
Hazardous waste streams
| Product code | Description |
|---|---|
| NCS001 | Non-chlorinated waste |
| CLS001 | Chlorinated solvent waste |
| HL001 | Hazardous liquid |
| HL002 | Formaldehyde fixatives waste |
| HL003 | Phenol extraction waste (trizol reagent, phenol/chloroform [1] |
| HL004 | Hazardous Liquid (10L Jerriecan) [1] |
| HS103 | Phenol extraction waste (trizol reagent, phenol/chloroform) TIPS only [2] |
| HL251 | Hazardous liquid (25L Jerrican) |
| CCS001 | Chemically contaminated sharps [3] |
| PPE001 | Waste PPE (bags provided by HMF) |
| SIL001 | Silica column waste (1 unit) |
| LSU001 | Lab Smalls (1 unit) |
| LSB032 | Lab Smalls Bucket 32L |
| LSF030 | Lab Smalls Drum 30L Fibre |
| LSF060 | Lab Smalls Drum 60L Fibre |
| LSF120 | Lab Smalls Drum 120L Fibre |
| LSP030 | Lab Smalls Drum 30L Plastic |
| LSP060 | Lab Smalls Drum 60L Plastic |
| LSP120 | Lab Smalls Drum 120L Plastic |
| OIL001 | Waste oil |
| OIL002 | 200L Drum Waste Oil |
| VER100 | Vermiculite 100L bag |
[1] Pre-labelled empty 1 litre glass bottles available from HMF store (no PO required).
[2] May be disposed in re-used 500 ml screw-top PBS plastic bottles (1 unit). Labels available form HMF stores.
[3] A PO must be raised in advance for this item. Once the container is filled it may be brought to HMF waste store, where it will be tracked (a new PO is not required at point of disposal).
Permitted contents
Non-chlorinated organic solvent
| Typical contents | Prohibited contents |
|---|---|
| Hexane | Corrosive wastes (including acids or bases) |
| Ethyl acetate | Malodourous wastes e.g. Dimethyl sulfoxide, amines, thiols etc. |
| Methanol | Aqueous wastes |
| Diethyl ether | Oils |
| Acetone | Any solid materials |
| Ethanol | |
| Other flammable liquids |
Chlorinated organic solvent
| Typical contents | Prohibited contents |
|---|---|
| Dichloromethane (methylene chloride) | Corrosive wastes (including acids or bases) |
| Chloroform | Malodourous wastes (see above) |
| Trichloromethane | Aqueous wastes |
| Oils | |
| Any solid materials |
Other wastes
| Typical contents | Prohibited contents |
|---|---|
| Silica waste | Free liquid |
| Chemically contaminated sharps | Heavy contamination |
| Waste personal protective equipment | Consumables, free chemicals |
| Formaldehyde fixatives waste | Any other liquids, biological matter, or solid materials |
| Phenol extraction waste (trizol reagent, phenol/chloroform) | Any other liquids, or contamination. |
| Hazardous liquid | Solid matter, crud or consumables |
Personal protective equipment
The proper PPE must be worn at stores at all when handling over chemical waste for disposal:
- Lab coat.
- Eye protection.
- Appropriate gloves.
- Suitable footwear.
Solvent wastes carrier can
Only solvent safety carrier cans may be used to dispose of organic solvent wastes.
The following rules must be complied with:
- Solvent containers must not be overfilled- these will be returned unemptied.
- Cans must be in good working order including i.e. a functioning flame arrestor must be in place, the spring-loaded closure must be working and the can must not be perforated or structurally damaged.
- Do not mix waste streams.
Note: The old-style 19.5 litre safety cans which are no longer accepted by HMF stores for safety reasons.
Packagings
All packagings must meet the following requirements:
- Compatible with the contents.
- Not allow permeation.
- Closures must be adequate to prevent any escape of contents.
- Must be able to withstand normal conditions of carriage.
Prohibited hazardous wastes
The following non-exhaustive list are wastes which in such a condition or exhibit properties that they cannot be disposed through the normal procedures and require exceptional treatment other action to permit disposal.
| Description |
|---|
| Explosive substances |
| Potentially explosive compounds (PEC): substances which oxidise, polymerise, dry out or destabilise and become explosively unstable e.g. picric acid (trinitrophenol) |
| Other unstable substances, such as materials which are likely to have explosive properties e.g. peroxide forming materials which either form peroxides due to inadequate storage (autoxidation and depletion of inhibitor) or those that have the risk due to evaporation (concentration) e.g. potassium metal, sodium amide, cyclopentane and tetrahydrofuran. |
| Radioactive materials |
| Nitrohydrochloric acid |
| Piranha solution |
| Any waste that is evolving gas, or where an ongoing reaction is taking place |
| Any waste that is not properly contained |
Any infringement of the safety protocols above is considered a serious breach of local safety requirements.