chemical wastes

I'm reading the book, Building Type Basics for Research Laboratories,
by Daniel D. Watch. On p.165, he writes: "It is not permitted to pour
chemicals into a drain that flows directly into the public water system."

That is clear enough. I'm a little confused by what he says one does instead.
He lists two alternatives:
(1) local handling in the lab
(2) dilution tanks in or near the building

The former, which is described as the most affordable, is described as
follows: "The researcher pours the chemical into a specific container
that is later picked up by a waste-management staffperson or by a vendor."

Thus, "local" apparently means that it stays in the lab until it is picked up.
Alternative (2) seems to mean that the drains are constructed out of
chemical-resistant piping which feed into holding tanks (i.e. the dilution
tanks) taking up a few hundred feet in the basement, so one can pour the
chemicals down the drain, which does not lead DIRECTLY into the public
water supply.

What Watch doesn't make clear is what happens to the content of the holding
tanks in the basement when it is time to dispose of it. His prose seems to
leave open the possibility that it is ok to flush the tanks directly into
the public water system. Can someone clarify this point?

Ignorantly,
Allan Adler
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"Allan Adler" <[Only registered users see links. ].mit.edu> wrote in message
news:[Only registered users see links. ].mit.edu...
instead.
up.
holding
The option 2 usually involves carrying out some basic tests on the waste
water and carrying out pre-treatment and/or dilution to certain standards
before releasing into the public sewerage system.

Barry Hunt

dilution is not the solution to pollution

You should recycle your material keep 5 or six jars in your closet for
the procedures that use the most toxic effects according to MSDS data
sheets.Chemicals can be recycled or new ones aquired by simply
boiling away the excess water and solvent.That is how i get my
K2Cr2O4 from K2Cr2O7.

I have a supply of this stuff to last a few years


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