Hazardous Waste Management

EHS works to ensure compliance with federal, state & local safety and environmental regulations in the collection and proper disposal of chemical, radioactive, biological and universal wastes generated by the research and teaching operations at YSU. Please read the waste management guidelines below for more information.

Laboratory Waste

• Chemical/Laboratory Waste
  Click Here to Schedule a Laboratory Waste Disposal. 

  Further details regarding laboratory waste guidelines can be found here. 

  Waste Containers & Labeling

  All waste containers must be labeled with the following information: 

  • Each Chemical Name (no abbreviations or formulas) 
  • Each Component Quantity (approximate percent volume or mass) 
  • Building and Room Number 
  • Department and Faculty Responsible 
  • Waste Accumulation Start Date

  ALL waste containers MUST have a COMPLETED label during accumulation, storage and PRIOR to removal from the lab.

  Waste Label copies may be requested from the CMC. Printable Waste Label templates are accessible here: YSU Chemical Waste Labels

  Empty containers                

  • "EMPTY" means as empty as feasibly possible and less than 1 inch of residual material.
  • Mark or label the container "EMPTY". Leave the barcode labels affixed for CMC pick-up. 
  • Place the empty containers onto a designated cart, bin, or designated waste location in the lab, such as the Satellite waste Accumulation Area (SAA).
  • When full, contact the CMC for removal from you lab via email or webform submission.

  If an Empty Container is to be reused for lab waste collection, the following procedure must be followed:

  • Provide the physcial barcode sticker, or note the barcode number & send to the Chemical Management Center (cmc@ysu.edu) via email, photo, campus mail, or hand-delivery.
  • Deface or remove original chemical container label AND barcode.
  • Apply a Waste Label from the above link, or contact the CMC for copies.
    • COMPLETE the label, providing all required details. Contact the responsible faculty/advisor for assistance.
  • For storage, move the container to the waste Satellite Accumulation Area.
  • Do not fill bottles completely to the top with waste; Leave at least two inches of head space in liquid containers.
    • Use "3/4 full" as a general rule of thumb & draw a "max. fill line" on the container.

  Chemical Liquid Waste

  Organic solvent wastes must be segregated into separate containers:

  • one container for NON-halogenated (i.e., acetone, ether, hexane, methanol) and a separate container for Halogenated (i.e. chloroform, dichloromethane + non-halogenated mix)
    • Both HAL & NON-Hal solvent wastes must contain less than 25% water
    • pH must be greater than 2 & less than 10.
  • Organic AQUEOUS waste is predominantly water-based. It must contain more than 25% water and is typically corrosive-acidic.
  • Do not mix inorganic waste with organic waste. INORGANIC waste must be kept in separate containers with proper labels 
  • ACID waste must be kept separate from BASIC /CAUSTIC waste. 
  • Do not mix Heavy-Metals waste (e.g. Mercury, Lead, Chromium, Silver) with organic waste. Heavy-Metals waste must be kept in separate containers with proper labels. 
    • MERCURY waste must be separated from all other wastes, including other Heavy-Metals wastes.

  Chemical Solid Waste: saturated gloves, paper products, vials, unbroken glassware

  • Must be placed in a 5-gal. solid waste pail/bucket (preferably screw-top lid), with liner-bag.
  • Lid must remain closed when not in use.
  • All new/non-routine chemical solid waste streams must be labeled with estimated contaminants & quantities.
    • Please contact EHS to setup a new waste stream in your lab.

  Satellite Accumulation Areas

  Satellite Accumulation Areas (SAA) are designated accumulation & storage locations established in labs generating waste.  

  • Must be near the point of generation of hazardous waste. 
  • Cannot exceed 55 gal. at any time. 
  • Must be in a secure location that can be under the supervision of the responsible faculty, to prevent unauthorized access. 
  • The SAA will have a sign stating: “Hazardous Waste Satellite Accumulation Area” and the area must be kept unobstructed.
  • The waste containers in the SAA must be in secondary spill containment, such as a polyethylene tote, bin, tray or tub.
  • The SAA must be set up in cooperation with EHS or Chemical Management personnel.  
  • Must be inspected monthly for issues, such as leaking containers, missing labels, etc.
    • All deficiencies must be either immediately corrected, or corrective action communicated & assigned to appropriate personnel.
• Biological/Potentially-Infectious Waste

  The following biohazardous waste disposal guidelines are designed to protect the public, the environment, laboratory and custodial personnel, waste haulers, and landfill/incinerator operators at each stage of the waste handling process. Generators of biohazardous waste must ensure that the labeling, packaging, and intermediate disposal of waste conforms to these guidelines. Use the definitions below to facilitate your understanding of appropriate decontamination and disposal guidelines. 

  • Decontamination - Refers to the process of removing disease-causing microorganisms and agents, rendering an object safe for general handling.
  • Disinfection - Refers to a process that kills or destroys most disease-causing microorganisms, except spores.
  • Sterilization - Refers to process that destroys all forms of microbial life, including spores, viruses, and fungi

  Infectious Waste REQUIRING Decontamination:

  Microbiological laboratory wastes such as cultures derived from clinical specimens and pathogenic microorganisms.

  • Lab equipment that may have come in contact with clinical specimens, pathogenic microorganisms, or cultures derived from them.
  • Tissues, large quantities of blood and/or bodily fluids from humans.
  • Tissues, large quantities of blood and/or bodily fluids from infectious animals.

  Waste NOT REQUIRING Decontamination:

  The following are not included as infectious waste but still need to be handled properly. Place these items into a container or plastic bag prior to disposal. Segregate these items from infectious waste.

  • Items soiled or spotted, but not saturated, with human blood or bodily fluid (spotted gloves)
  • Containers, packages, waste glass, lab equipment, and other materials that have had no contact with blood, body fluids, clinical cultures, or infectious agents.
  • Noninfectious animal waste (bedding, tissue, blood, and body fluids) or cultures from an animal that is not known to be carrying an infectious agent that can be transmitted to humans.

  Packaging of Waste

  Laboratory materials used in experiments with potentially infectious microorganisms, such as discarded cultures, tissues, media, plastics, sharps, glassware, instruments, and laboratory coats must be decontaminated before disposal or washing for reuse. Collect contaminated materials in leak-proof containers labeled with the universal biohazard symbol. Autoclavable biohazard bags are recommended. All infectious waste must be brought to Cushwa Lab #2205 when the container becomes 3/4 full, or a maximum weight of 30 pounds. Follow this link to Request Biohazard Waste Disposal.

  Uncontaminated sharps and other noninfectious items that may cause injury require special disposal even if they do not need to be decontaminated. Sharps need to be collected in rigid, puncture-resistant containers to prevent wounding of workers, custodial personnel, and waste handlers. If a package is likely to be punctured from sharp-edged contents, double bagging or boxing is needed.

  Please visit ysu.edu/ehs/cmc/waste/infectious-waste for a brief overview regarding the handling of infectious or potentially-infectious waste.

  Methods of Decontamination

  Choosing the right method to eliminate or inactivate a biohazard is not always simple. The choice depends largely on the treatment equipment available, the target agent, and the presence of interfering substances (e.g. media, high organic content, tissues) that may protect the organism from decontamination or mitigate the effects of the decontamination equipment.

  • Autoclave/Steam Sterilization:

    There are two main autoclaves located in the EHS department that are used for all infectious waste before the infectious waste transporter removes the waste from campus. They are operational during normal work days and process approximately 300 pounds of infectious waste a month. The operation and maintenance of the autoclave is the responsibility of the EHS department and is in accordance with the manufacture’s recommendations. A brief overview of the Microbiology Lab in Cushwa Hall can be found here: ysu.edu/ehs/cmc/waste/biological/microlab

  • Chemical Disinfection:

    Where autoclaving is not appropriate, an accepted alternative is to treat material with a chemical disinfectant. The disinfectant should be freshly prepared at a concentration known to be effective against the agent in use. The disinfectant choice should be one that quickly and effectively kills/inactivates the agent at the lowest concentration and with minimal risk to the user. However, higher concentrations of disinfectant are necessary to clean up large spills.

    It is important to be aware that common laboratory disinfectants can be a hazard to the user. Also, once material has been treated with chemicals it cannot be autoclaved. For specific disposal information after chemical treatment contact the EHS department at ehs@ysu.edu.

  • Sewage Treatment:

    Most fluid waste can be discarded through the sanitary sewer by pouring it into a sink drain and flushing the drain with water. This includes human blood and infectious cultures as long as they have been properly decontaminated. Care should be taken to avoid generation of aerosols. The routine processing of municipal sewage provides chemical decontamination. If the fluid is contaminated with infectious agents or biological toxins, however, it must be decontaminated by chemical disinfection or steam sterilization before sewer disposal.

Universal Waste