Hazardous Materials Management in Schools

1. Hazardous Materials Management in Schools Dave Waddell King County Hazardous Waste Management Program

2. What’s the Problem? Crystals form and corrode the can. Sodium metal will spontaneously ignite if wet. • Chemicals of Concern • Chemical Storage • Spill Management • Chemical Use • Chemical Disposal

3. Example High Risk Materials • Peroxide Forming Chemicals & Explosives • Potassium, Ether, Dioxane, Tetrahydrofuran, Picric acid, Sodium azide, Perchloric acid, Di • Water and Air Reactives • Potassium, Sodium, Lithium, Calcium carbide, Yellow Phosphorus, White Phosphorus, Lithium Aluminum Hydride • Corrosives • Hydrofluoric acid, Perchloric acid, Bromine, Nitric acid • Carcinogens and Toxins • Arsenic, Cadmium, Chloroform, Formaldehyde, Potassium dichromate, Mercury & Cyanide compounds, Phenol

4. Ammonium nitrate crystals = leaking nitric acid & ammonium hydroxide bottles Mercury with “protective layer of water”

5. Nitric acid, oxidizer and corrosive Fumes eat through plastic cap Then oxidize cardboard box Extreme fire risk

6. Hydrofluoric Acid • Anesthetic: acid doesn’t burn on contact • Deep tissue and bone disintegration • Extreme pain, can cause gangrene, amputation • Highly corrosive, dissolves glass Long-term effects of hydrofluoric acid exposure

7. If chloroform not preserved with alcohol and exposed to light, assume Phosgene gas is present. Dispose now!

8. Middle school, fully peroxidized Explosive, surrounded by household compounds used daily 1st – Why do you need bromine water. 2nd – If you “really need it” buy it pre-diluted to reduce risk

9. Highly explosive peroxide crystals. Crystals on acid bottle, no big deal. Crystals on solvent lid, assume explosive

10. What happens when peroxidized ether is distilled Note how effective the flammable storage cabinet was in preventing solvents from igniting.

11. Unlabeled Corroded Chlorine Gas Cylinder White phosphorus, pyrophoric if water level drops ½ inch spontaneously ignites

12. The “Box O Gases” contains corrosive Chlorine, oxidizer Oxygen, flammable Hydrogen

13. Hand-written word “Nitro” In middle school Tested it for nitrates, found to be very high. Assumed this was home-made nitroglycerin. Hired contractor for safe deactivation.

14. Spill Materials & Procedures Sodium hydroxide Corrosive base

15. Minor Spills • Can you answer YES to these 4 questions? • If so, it may be safe to clean up the spill • Do you know what chemical was spilled? • Do you know the hazards of the spilled chemical? • Do you have a chemical spill kit? • Can you protect yourself from these hazards?

16. Chemical Storage in Labs Can you find this message? Can you see the dozens of chemical bottles?

17. What’s Wrong With This Picture? Flammable liquid stored in standard freezer Chloroform + light = poison gas Strong oxidizer stored by flammable liquid = fire risk Potential explosive: freezing increases risk since preservative is temperature sensitive

18. This teacher was hazmat coordinator for district. Other schools sent him their stuff for disposal. Never disposed them. Note chemicals on chair.

19. Helpful teacher moved chemicals to prepare for planned disposal sometime in future. Drain in back of hood holds bottles.

20. Storage: Segregate Incompatibles Mix these, could get flaming acid

21. Sombrero Bottle: Nitric acid + ammonium hydroxide = ammonium nitrate crystals

22. Ammonium chloride crystals (ammonium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid)

23. Oxidizing acids by combustible acids. Acids by bases.

24. Storage Near Drains Unlabeled containers hold heavy metals. Not allowed down drain. Where’s collection container?

25. Can it go down the drain? Does it? Probably not… Absolutely

26. Heavy Metals Sewer Limits • Schools don’t work in mg/L, ppm or percents • Their unit is molarity (M) which is moles/liter • 0.1M solutions is typically most dilute they get • 0.1 M CuSO4 = 6.35 g/L Copper = 6530 mg/L • Sewer limit is 8 mg/L copper = 0.0001 M Cu+2 • Cadmium limit = 0.6 mg/L = 0.000005 M Cd+2 • Lead = 4 mg/L = 0.00002 M Pb+2 • Nickel = 5 mg/L = 0.00008 M Ni+2 • Silver = 3 mg/L = 0.00003 M Ag+2 • Zinc = 10 mg/L = 0.00015 M Zn+2

27. Chemical Use: Safe Handling These were the gloves I was given to clean up a small chemical spill I observed at one high school.

28. Can They Safely Handle Unknowns? • Can’t respond to spills • Can’t guarantee proper PPE • Violates OSHA/WISHA • Right to know hazards • Requirement for MSDSs • How does a chemist try to ID an unknown? • Whiffs the fumes. • Oh… wait… This is hydrochloric acid. Tough choice: label as “corrosive” or “don’t smell?”

29. Got an MSDS for your Methol Some- thing?

30. Words escape me…

31. Results from King County • Visited from 1999 through 2002 • Inspected 335 schools • X – High Schools • Y – Middle Schools • Helped schools properly dispose of: • X pounds of high-risk chemicals • 38.2 tons of lab chemicals

32. So, how do you fix this mess? • Carefully! Bring in someone with experience. • Be prepared to contend with high costs • Do clean-out in phases. Highest risks 1st. • Fill containers prior to shipping to reduce costs • Work with local governments: • Household hazardous waste collection programs are typically much less expensive • They can often provide expertise • Stress labeling and waste reduction techniques