chromium ion/disposal

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From:Gayle Callis <uvsgc@msu.oscs.montana.edu> (by way of histonet)
To:histonet <histonet@magicnet.net>
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We are not to put any heavy metal ions, chromium, silver, osmium,
down a drain, treated or untreated.  This is required by a university
chemical safety office. Since they make the rules via some higher
authority, heavy metals are collected and shipped to who knows
where.  This also eliminated using potassium dichromate/sulfuric
acid mixtures for washing glassware throughout our whole university.

No chemical treatment of any sort is done in this laboratory on chemicals
and this is often frowned upon by water treatment plants anyway.  Exception
is DAB, with comments below.

Since we have the advantage of collection by a specialized chem safety
lab, life is simplified, univesity is happy, EPA is happy :).
Exception is DAB, some people put clorox bleach in it, to
break up the molecule that forms some sort of chlorinated compound ?????, when
it is best handled with potassium permangante/sulfuric acid to destroy the
DAB, and even though this MIGHT be suitable for discarding via drain,
permission from local wastewater people is needed.  I just give this
mixture to chem safety and let them deal with it, happiness reigns.

Can't speak for the mining industry in Montana, or other industry, seems
they are fined, slapped down frequently. A new law just passed to
prevent any cyanide extraction, big mining interests are MAD! and
going to court.  Montana has massive problems with mining et al chemical
contamination with expensive reclamation being done by well known affluent
companies to clean up their past indiscretions, decades after the fact!  Can
honestly tell you I wouldn't drink the water in Butte MT until just
recently, or bathe in it, body parts would drop off or glow in the dark!

So I guess I do my small part to help out.
Sorry for the chemical/political tirade, sound like environmental
fanatic.

Gayle Callis




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