You will probably want to contact your local or state office of environmental protection to find out what is required in your area.
The EPA lists hazardous wastes in 40 CFR 261.30. Even if your waste is not on this list, it may have hazardous characteristics such as: ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity characteristic. Ignitability pertains to flashpoints less than 140 F and/or aqueous solutions with alcohol content greater than or equal to 24 percent. Florida's DEP has different regulations dependent upon the quantity of hazardous waste generated. Some localities may require approval to dispose of alcohol down the drain. If you don't have this approval, you have to dispose of the waste according to your state and federalregulations. To reduce the quantity of hazardous waste we generate, we began to recycle using CBG Biotech's distillation unit. We have had great results with it. While alcohol does take longer to recycle than xylene, our supply costs have been greatly reduced and we have worked this into our weekly schedule very well. Some things to consider when using recycled alcohol: Test each finished alcohol run with a hydrometer to know what percentage it is. Do not use recycled alcohol at the end of the stain line after eosin (it will wash the eosin out). Do not use recycled alcohol as the last alcohol before xylene on the processor. Finally, do not recycle the first alcohols on the stain line after xylene (at least on our recycler). This is disposed of in our flammable waste containers to be picked up. Here’s a link to the EPA’s managing hazardous waste pdf - http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/generation/sqg/handbook/k01005.pdf Brendal Finlay, HT (ASCP) http://medicalcenterclinic.com -----Original message----- From: Rene J Buesa rjbu...@yahoo.com Date: Mon, 25 Feb 201316:53:22 -0600 To: "Scott, Allison D" allison.sc...@harrishealth.org, "histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu" histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu Subject: Re: [Histonet] Waste Alcohol I always dumped the ethanol down the drain. I never recycled it because it takes almost 3 times more time that recycling xylene (3 times the cost) and the recycled alcohol is seldom of good quality. When I stopped using xylene I had no more use (and exposure) when recycling. René J. From: "Scott, Allison D" To: "histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu" Sent: Monday, February 25, 2013 3:27 PM Subject: [Histonet] Waste Alcohol Hello to all in histoland. Is there anyone putting alcohol into a waste drum like for xylene. We have a company that takes away our xylene. Now the safety people are suggesting that we treat the alcohol thesame way. We have always poured the alcohol down the drain. It seems very expensive. Your help in this matter will be greatly appreciated. Allison Scott HT(ASCP) Supervisor, Histology Lab LBJ Hospital Harris Health System Office: 713-566-5287 Lab: 713-566-5287 CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: If you have received this e-mail in error, please immediately notify the sender by return e-mail and delete this e-mail and any attachments from your computer system. To the extent the information in this e-mail and any attachments contain protected health information as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 ("HIPAA"), PL 104-191; 45 CFR Parts 160 and 164; or Chapter 181, Texas Health and Safety Code, it is confidential and/or privileged. This e-mail may also be confidential and/or privileged under Texas law. The e-mail is forthe use of only the individual or entity named above. If you are not the intended recipient, or any authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, dissemination or copying of this e-mail and its attachments is strictly prohibited. _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list Histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet