Toxic use reduction and waste minimization activities apply not only to wastes but includes the management of releases to air, water, and generation of solid and non-hazardous waste. Best practices for a number of environmental areas related to pollution prevention in laboratories are described below.
Air Quality
- Implement microscale chemistry techniques where possible.
- Make sure the caps and container lids on volatile chemicals are secure.
- Do not store chemicals in laboratory fume hoods.
- Substitute less toxic or less volatile chemicals in processes where possible.
Wastewater
- Review processes and procedures for opportunities to minimize wastewater generation.
- Implement microscale chemistry techniques where possible.
- Use organic dishwashing solutions instead of chromic-sulfuric acid mixtures when washing glassware if possible.
Hazardous Waste
- Minimize the amount of chemicals stored in the lab to the minimum quantities needed to avoid having to dispose of chemicals that expire or deteriorate during storage.
- Develop an inventory of chemicals no longer needed in your lab that could possibly be used by another.
- Where possible substitute less toxic chemicals where toxic chemicals are used in a procedure or process.
- Evaluate ways to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals used in lab procedures.
- Re-use or recycle spent solvent.
- Avoid contaminating non-hazardous waste streams with hazardous, radioactive or biohazardous material.
- If possible, small amounts of hazardous waste may be effectively treated in the laboratory, rendering it non-hazardous prior to disposal. (Note: This action may require a RCRA permit in some circumstances.) On-site treatment techniques may include:
- pH neutralization
- Treatment in accumulation containers, i.e., precipitation of heavy metals,
- On-site recycling
- Burning in boilers or furnaces
- Include detoxification or waste treatment steps in lab procedures
Radioactive and Mixed Waste
- Replace toluene based liquid scintillation fluid with non-ignitable fluid making a potential mixed waste into a radioactive waste.
- Use low volume liquid scintillation vials.
Non-Hazardous and Special Waste
- Use two sided copying
- Make procedures, MSDSs, manuals, etc., available electronically
- Use e-mail instead of hard copies
- Share trade periodicals rather than maintaining multiple subcriptions
- Use reusable containers
- Use rechargeable batteries