BACE Waste F24

BACE Waste Management

"No activity should begin unless a plan for the disposal of nonhazardous and hazardous waste has been formulated."

What is Waste?

Waste is defined as material that is discarded,
is intended to be discarded,
or is no longer useful for its intended purpose.

Open Ended

What categories of waste do you think are generated in a typical biological laboratory?

Types of Lab Waste

Chemical
Radioactive
Biological

All pose a hazard to human health.

Multiple Choice

What is this safety symbol?

• Radioactivity
• Biohazard

• Irritant
• Toxic

Multiple Choice

This material contains atoms with an unstable nuclei that emits ionizing radiation

• Medical material

• Radioactive material

• Radioactive waste

• Biohazardous material

Open Ended

What do you think is the FIRST step to waste management?

Prevention is Key!

​First-tier response to waste is prevention

Reduce the scale of operation to essentials only
Modifying operations to reduce waste
Using less hazardous alternatives

Reuse!

Second-tier response to waste is reuse

Figure out where you could use the by-products of one process in another process
Redistribute to another lab

Multiple Choice

What is the collection of materials that can be broken down and reprocessed to make new items?

• composting
• incineration
• leachate
• recycling 

Recycle!

Third-tier response to waste is to recycle

Recover chemicals from the waste via processing
OR generate energy/heat by using the waste as fuel

Open Ended

What do you think is the fourth and final stage of waste management?

Dispose

Waste that cannot be reused/recycled must be disposed of properly

Goal: Protect people and the environment from harm
May need to treat the waste first (neutralize, etc.)

Dispose via incineration or landfill
Must use secure sontainers

Dispose

Biohazardous waste must be decontaminated before being disposed.

Red bags typically go into an autoclave.

(Hospital waste is typically just directly incinerated.)

Multiple Choice

Bacteria in landfills perform anaerobic respiration as they decompose materials very slowly. This process creates

• methane

• leachate

• CO2

• oxygen

Multiple Choice

When sealing the red biohazard bag, how should you avoid it leaking the contents by

• Keeping it tied downward

• Keeping it tied upright

• Keeping it open and carrying it away

• Hold it sideways

Regulations and Compliance

If you don't dispose of waste properly, the lab can be fined and sanctioned

Individuals can be prosecuted for egregious violations
EPA sets regulations and monitors for compliance

Multiple Choice

Passed in 1980 to set aside money for cleanup of hazardous waste sites

• Superfund Act
• No Child Left Behind
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Energy Conservation Act

Multiple Choice

In science labs, it is okay to

• Have a snack
• Drink in lab
• Taste chemicals
• None of the above

Multiple Choice

• Danger of Death
• Biohazard
• Slippery Floor
• Forklift

Multiple Choice

Passed in 1976 to regulate solid and hazardous waste disposal

• Superfund Act
• Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)
• Clean Water Act
• Clean Air Act

Multiple Choice

What safety symbol is this? 

• biohazard
• radiation
• toxic
• corrosive

Multiple Choice

Toxic, corrosive, or explosive material

• solid waste
• hazardous waste
• municipal waste
• plant waste

Multiple Choice

Often generates wastes that are more toxic than the original substance

• composting
• recycling
• incineration
• source reduction

Multiple Choice

All of the following are methods of solid waste disposal EXCEPT:

• landfills
• open dumping 
• incineration
• recovery 

Remember...

"No activity should begin unless a plan for the disposal of nonhazardous and hazardous waste has been formulated."

Don't start a process without a plan that includes containers, SOPs, and plans for spills/escapes.