Chemical waste includes both the chemical byproducts of large

manufacturing facilities and laboratories, as well as the smaller-scale

solvents and other chemicals disposed of by households. It may fall under
the classification of hazardous waste, depending on the nature of the
chemicals for example, chemicals such as ethanol and glycerol dont
require special disposal procedures. Health and safety legislation varies
internationally and dictates the manner in which this waste must be handled
and disposed of. In the United States, it is regulated by the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act as well as the Clean Water Act; while the
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) regulates
chemical waste in the UK.
If chemical waste is not handled or disposed of properly, both the environment and nearby
individuals are put at risk by its potentially corrosive, toxic, flammable or explosive nature. Proper
handling of this waste first requires the separation of chemicals that may react with one another,
such as salts from acids, hypochlorites and hydroxides from ammonia, and oxidizing substances
from combustible substances. After it is properly separated, it should be safely stored in tightlysealed drums, bottles, tins or jars that will not be corroded or otherwise affected by the contents.
Chemical waste includes nonradioactive chemical solids, liquids, or other waste types contaminated with
hazardous chemicals

hazardous wastes as a substance which poses a hazard to human health or the

environment when improperly managed.

A chemical waste is considered hazardous if it is either listed on one of the

lists found in Federal or State regulations or if it exhibits one or more of the
four following characteristics:
1. Ignitable - ignitable wastes generally are liquids with a flash point
below 60C or 140F (however, just because a material has a higher
flash point, it still cannot be drain disposed).
2. Corrosive - corrosive wastes are generally aqueous wastes with a pH
less than or equal to two (2) or greater than or equal to 12.5
(although UCLA policy includes any waste that is not neutral).
3. Reactive - reactive wastes are those wastes that are unstable,
explosive, capable of detonation or react violently with water.
4. Toxic - a chemical that poses a hazard to health or the environment
(this can be a gray area).
Determining if a waste is a hazardous waste can be difficult. It is
UCLA's policy that faculty, staff, and students assume all chemicals are

hazardous and must be managed through the Environment, Health

and Safety (EH&S) Chemical Waste Management Program. Strict
sewer, air emissions and landfill regulations require that hazardous waste is
not drain disposed, evaporated in fume hoods or disposed of in the normal
trash. Contact EH&S for help in classifying waste as hazardous or nonhazardous.
Hazardous chemical waste also include the following:

Chemicals that can no longer be used for their intended use (e.g. aged
or surplus inventory)

Mislabeled or unlabeled chemicals

Abandoned chemicals

Material in deteriorating or damaged containers

Residuals in chemical containers

Diluted solutions containing hazardous chemicals

Used photographic fixer and developer

Debris contaminated with a hazardous material (rags, paper towels, lab

diapers, gloves, etc.)

Classification of Waste as Hazardous

Waste is considered hazardous if:
It is on either of two lists of specific chemical substances developed by the Federal
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Most commonly used organic solvents (e.g.
acetone, methanol, toluene, xylene, methylene chloride etc.) are included (see list).
For further information contact Environmental Health & Safety.
It is on a list of nonspecific sources that includes a broad range of spent halogenated
and non-halogenated solvents (see list).
It is on a list of specific sources that includes primarily industrial processes.
It exhibits any of the following characteristics as defined by the EPA (definitions are
abbreviated):

Ignitable

a liquid with a flash point less than 60 degrees Centigrade

not a liquid and capable under normal conditions of causing fire

through friction, absorption of moisture or spontaneous chemical
changes

an ignitable compressed gas

an oxidizer

Corrosive

it is aqueous and has a pH less than or equal to 2 or greater than or

equal to 12.5

It is a liquid and corrodes steel at a rate greater than 0.250 inches per
year at 55 degrees Centigrade

Reactive

it is normally unstable

it reacts violently with water

it forms potentially explosive mixtures with water

it generates toxic gases, vapors or fumes when mixed with water

cyanide or sulfide wastes that generate toxic gases, vapors or fumes at

pH conditions between 2 and 12.5

it is capable of detonation or explosive decomposition if subjected to

strong initiation or under standard temperature and pressure

it is classified as a Department of Transportation explosive

Toxicity Characteristic

if an extract of the waste is found to contain certain metals, pesticides

or selected organics above specified levels (see list).

if it is otherwise capable of causing environmental or health damage if

improperly disposed (this is a judgment you must make based upon
your knowledge of the material from the Material Safety Data Sheet or
the literature).

Packaging Chemical Wastes

Place hazardous waste in sealable containers. Waste disposal cost is based on volume, not
weight, therefore, whenever possible, containers should be filled, leaving headspace for
expansion of the contents. Often the original container is perfectly acceptable.
If you routinely generate significant quantities of compatible solvents or other liquids,
bulking of waste in five gallon carboys provided by EHS may be practical. Savings to the
University from this practice are substantial. If you are interested, please call EHS at x85294.
The container should not react with the waste being stored (e.g. no hydrofluoric acid in
glass). Similar wastes may be mixed if they are compatible (e.g. non-halogenated
solvents).
Whenever possible, wastes from incompatible hazard classes should not be mixed (e.g.
organic solvents with oxidizers). Certain metals also cause disposal problems when mixed
with flammable liquids or other organic liquids (see

special wastes).

Containers must be kept closed except during actual transfers. Do not leave a
hazardous waste container with a funnel in it. See
information.

Storage of Chemical Waste for more

Chemical containers that have been triple-rinsed and air-dried in a ventilated area can be
placed in the trash or recycled. If the original contents were highly toxic, the container
should be rinsed first with an appropriate solvent and the washings disposed of as
hazardous waste. See

Disposal of Empty Glass Chemical Containers for more information.

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The following spent halogenated
solvents used in degreasing:
Tetrachloroethylene,
trichloroethylene, methylene
chloride, 1,1,1-trichloroethane,
carbon tetrachloride, and
chlorinated fluorocarbons; all
spent solvent mixtures/ blends
used in degreasing containing,
before use, a total of ten
percent or more (by volume) of
one or more of the above
halogenated solvents or those
solvents listed in F002, F004,
and F005; and still bottoms from
the recovery of these spent
solvents and spent solvent
mixtures
F002

(T)

The following spent halogenated

(T)

solvents: Tetrachloroethylene,
methylene chloride,
trichloroethylene, 1,1,1trichloroethane, chlorobenzene,
1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2trifluoroethane,
orthodichlorobenzene,
trichlorofluoromethane, and 1,1,2trichloroethane; all spent solvent
mixtures/blends containing, before
use, a total of ten percent or more
(by volume) of one or more of the
above halogenated solvents or those
listed in F001, F004, or F005; and
still bottoms from the recovery of
these spent solvents and spent
solvent mixtures
The following spent non-halogenated
solvents: Xylene, acetone, ethyl
acetate, ethyl benzene, ethyl
ether, methyl isobutyl ketone, nbutyl alcohol, cyclohexanone, and
methanol; all spent solvent
mixtures/blends containing, before
use, only the above spent nonhalogenated solvents; and all spent
solvent mixtures/blends containing,
before use, one or more of the
above non-halogenated solvents,
and, a total of ten percent or more
(by volume) of one or more of those
solvents listed in F001, F002,
F004, and F005; and still bottoms
from the recovery of these spent
solvents and spent solvent mixtures

F003

1.

On-site Preparation
o

The process of chemical waste disposal begins at the source. Most

producers of chemical waste, such as laboratories, factories or processing
plants, have an internal policy for the treatment of chemical waste. Although
these policies can be more or less rigorous depending on the nature and amount
of the chemical waste produced, most have a few steps in common: isolation,
labeling, storage and retrieval. Waste is first separated by type, then placed in a
specific, sealed and labeled container with complete information on the type and
amount of waste contained and, finally, retrieved by a certified disposal agent
after temporary storage in a designated safe place in the building.

Treatment and Incineration

o

Several types of chemical waste can undergo treatment to reduce the

toxicity or volume of waste. Treatments can include chemical neutralization or,
more commonly, incineration, a process by which chemical waste is exposed to
extremely high temperatures in order to combust harmful agents, reduce the
volume of waste or reduce the environmental danger posed by the waste. In
most cases, incineration still leaves some volume of dangerous waste that
requires final disposal.
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Land Disposal
o

Land disposal refers to the long-term or permanent placement of chemical

waste in subterranean or surface holding facilities. These facilities, which can
include landfills, surface impoundments, waste piles or injection wells, are usually
sealed facilities that keep waste from entering the surrounding earth, bodies of
water or subterranean waters. Landfills, for instance, carve away pieces of land
and refill them with wastes in sealed containers, while surface impoundments
store wastes above ground in safe containers. Waste piles, simply piles of waste
above ground, are used for less toxic wastes and usually have a safety
perimeter, while injection wells, commonly used for liquid chemical wastes, are
deep sealed wells into which wastes are injected.

Chemical Waste Recycling

o

Certain types of chemical waste can be recycled to reduce the final

amount of waste generated. Chemical wastes can either be reused directly, as is
the case with emission control dust that can be reinserted into a zinc smelting
furnace without processing, or reclaimed, meaning that the waste needs some
chemical processing before it can be reused. Spent solvents, for example, can
be treated to recover acetone. Chemical waste recycling not only reduces the
environmental impact of chemical production, but can have economic benefits as
it takes advantage of useful byproducts.

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