The post How Is Hazardous Waste Listed and Categorized? appeared first on City Disposal, Inc..
]]>Much of hazardous waste is considered listed, which allows it to be separated into F, K, P, and U lists. All are considered hazardous, but waste from F and K lists is caused by manufacturing, and waste from P and U lists is unused commercial chemicals.
All F- and K-listed wastes are manufacturing process waste. F-list wastes, however, do not come from a specific source. In other words, they may come from any manufacturing process. Examples of F-list waste include spent solvent waste, electroplating waste, wood preserving waste, and wastewater treatment sludge waste from a petroleum refinery.
K-list waste is from a specific source, which means it comes from manufacturing specific products. Common examples of K-list waste comes from pesticide manufacturing, ink formulation, veterinary pharmaceutical manufacturing, and iron and steel production.
P- and U-listed wastes only include commercial chemicals that have been unused but need to be disposed of. One reason you may need to dispose of unused commercial chemicals is if they are expired. Similarly, if the chemicals have been spilt, they should be disposed of as P- or U-list waste.
The difference between P-list and U-list waste is the toxicity. P-list waste is considered more toxic than U-list waste.
Some waste is unlisted, and in order to organize the waste, the EPA has four characteristics, including ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity, and toxicity.
The first characteristic used to measure the danger of a hazardous material is ignitability. This type of waste can quickly catch on fire and includes liquid that releases fumes at 140 degrees Fahrenheit, such as gasoline.
This type of waste also includes solids that may spontaneously combust, such as metal powders or activated charcoal. Ignitable compressed gases and oxidizers are also considered highly ignitable.
Corrosivity usually refers to acidic waste, including inorganic acids (such as hydraulic acid), organic acids (such as lactic acid), and alkaline compounds (such as hydroxides). These substances need to have a pH of less than 2 or higher than 12.5 to be considered acidic.
As an added insult, corrosive waste may actually be able to destroy the container in which it is housed, making it potentially hard to store for long periods of time.
Reactive wastes are those that have the potential to be dangerous and explosive. Some become dangerous when exposed to water, such as anhydrous metal salts, alkali metals, and metal powders. Some compounds even cause explosions when exposed to water, such as calcium carbide and metal hydrides.
Reactive wastes may also include unstable compounds that can change without detonating. This includes diethyl zinc and organometallic gases. Finally, compounds that could create explosive reactions include dry picric acid and trinitro compounds.
Toxic waste refers to any poisonous substance that can affect groundwater, which can affect the environment and humans. Heavy metals included in this category are arsenic, lead, mercury, and silver.
Many pesticides are also considered toxic as well as common organic chemicals like chloroform, vinyl chloride, and cresols.
If you have hazardous waste, it needs to be disposed of properly. Failure to comply with federal rules and regulations can result in serious punishment for you and your entire business. If you would like to learn more about waste removal, contact us at City Disposal today.
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]]>The post What You Need to Know About Hazardous Waste Disposal appeared first on City Disposal, Inc..
]]>Once you know something about hazardous waste and its proper disposal, you can approach the problem as safely and correctly as possible. Here are some key points to help you familiarize yourself with this important issue.
Any waste product that can damage the environment or threaten human health qualifies as hazardous waste. The Environmental Protection Agency breaks these wastes down into three distinct categories: listed wastes, characteristic wastes, and mixed radiological and hazardous wastes.
Listed wastes include any waste products mentioned in a federal regulation 40 CFR sections 261.31 and 261.32. You can generally find out whether the product in question belongs on either of these lists by examining the label. Look for an F or K followed by a three-digit number.
In addition to the F or K number, you should also see a capital letter indicating the characteristic of the waste. Your product may qualify as Toxic Waste (T), Acute Hazardous Waste (H), Ignitable Waste (I), Corrosive Waste (C), Reactive Waste (R), or Toxicity Characteristic Waste (E).
Unused commercial chemicals belong on two separate lists designated P and U. Each P or U code number corresponds to a specific kind of chemical.
If you want to get rid of unwanted hazardous waste quickly, safely, and easily, start by seeing whether someone else can make use of it. Unneeded paints, cleaning chemicals, and other still-usable products can provide necessary services to others until none of it remains.
Some unwanted substances, such as used automotive fluids, can undergo recycling; others, such as chemical and medical waste, require permanent disposal. You’ll need expert advice on how to separate different categories of waste and prepare them for removal.
Some types of waste get their own specific types of receptacles. For instance, medical waste typically goes into leak-resistant bags surrounded by sturdy bins. These receptacles include labels warning that the materials within constitute a potential hazard. Rigid bins protect handlers from sharp contents such as syringes.
In many cases, you can put multiple smaller hazardous waste containers into over-packed drums known as lab packs. Just make sure that the smaller containers cannot leak and that the contents of different containers cannot react with each other. You’ll fill the remainder of the lab pack with moisture-absorbing material.
You may hear the phrase “cradle to grave” mentioned in connection with hazardous waste disposal. This phrase refers to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) for managing every step of the waste collection and disposal process.
If you generate hazardous waste, this law requires you to assume responsibility for its final disposition. To comply with the law, you may need to make use of tracking software, barcode scanning, and other logging techniques to document the chain of custody for every piece of hazardous waste you generate.
Choosing a licensed, experienced hazardous waste disposal company can help you meet compliance with these legal requirements. Our company can review the entire transportation, storage, and disposal procedure with you, reassuring you that your hazardous waste receives the correct handling.
Now that you have some idea of how hazardous waste disposal should work, start taking the necessary steps toward safety, environmental best practices, and legal compliance. Contact City Disposal to learn more about our services and get the qualified help your school, business, or medical facility needs.
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