[Histonet] RE: DAB disposal
Hi,
I agree, there are obviously limitations as to what should be thrown down the sink, but not all labs have methods of disposal such as companies to remove and dispose of. Or the money to invest in dab removal systems.
I have worked as a BMS in a number of labs, and I certainly do not know of many labs who can capture and contain all their waste formalin whilst doing grossing/cut up, contain the waste whilst performing special stains, what happens to the xylene, alcohol, silver, and even the dab, peroxide etc waste gathered whilst doing immuno manually? How about some of the bleaches and detergents used to clean labs, and the disinfectants used as infection control? The list goes on.......
The method I mentioned as far as I know has been used by a number of labs for a long time, not just specifically Ventana. Joe you mentioned you had used it, but perhaps in larger quantities.
In a perfect, ideal, environmentally friendly world, we would not have solvents etc, but we don't, and finding companies to remove lab waste who do not charge high premiums that NHS labs, can afford is difficult.
Certainly a discussion that needs to be addressed with regulations and specific guidelines put firmly in place.
Regards
Emma
F-----Original Message-----rom: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of histonet-request@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 7:23 PM
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Subject: Histonet Digest, Vol 31, Issue 18[Scanned]
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Message: 3
Date: Mon, 12 Jun 2006 10:24:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: heidi gordon
Subject: [Histonet] formalin disposal
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <20060612172436.91656.qmail@web30715.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
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I work at a facility that processes its own tissue.
We keep the tissue blocks in a bucket of formalin
until it is put on the processor at the end of the
day. I have been disposing of it at the end of each
day. I am wondering how often most facilities dispose
of this formalin. Everyday? When it looks dirty?
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Emma,
Is this what Ventana advises? Labs should check with their local waste
water treatment plant before TREATING anything or putting "diluted" DAB
down the drain. If laboratories are generating this kind of waste on a
weekly basis, this adds up over time. In general, waste water plants do not
like this and EPA does monitor water around here. Montana has discharge
rules (maybe for larger industries) but our city does not want medicines,
household cleaners, solvents, fertilizers, pesticides, oil, etc, flushed
down the drains and warn residents frequently about this in their water bills.
Wouldn't it be better to collect and have it hauled away for proper
chemical disposal than add even "minute" amounts of a potential carcinogen
to our water supply. We use very little DAB in our lab, but all
chromogens AEC, DAB, permanent red, etc, (very low volume usage) are
collected for chemical waste pickup and proper disposal.
An interesting sidelight, tested water wells in parts of Montana now have
traces of sunscreen chemical, medicines, herbicides, nitrates and
nitrites. So much for the "pristine" environment and pure water out in
the Wild Wild West /Rocky Mountain region. Drink beer and brush you teeth
with it too, it may be safer when you visit some Montana dude ranch!
Gayle Callis HTL, HT, MT(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University
Bozeman MT 59717
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 9 Jun 2006 12:29:00 -0500
From: jhaviland@mdanderson.org
Subject: [Histonet] Vectastain elite kits
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID
Dear Histonetters:
I have the Dako unit. It separates the hazardous/non-hazardous waste. The DAB goes into a 20L carboy that is then hauled off-site for disposal.
Tom McNemar, HT(ASCP)
Histology Co-ordinator
Licking Memorial Health Systems
(740) 348-4163
(740) 348-4166
tmcnemar@lmhealth.org
www.LMHealth.org
Hi Tom
Today we became proud owners of a brand new Dako unit and I had that
exact thought in mind - what to do with a 20 litre bottle of
dab-contaminated waste....every couple of weeks - here in the UAE we
have little choice as there are no federal laws and no off-site waste
companies to cart waste off even for a fee.
I am stuck until someone in authority writes the book of rules.
I just know that one of you will go 'gasp!shock!horror'! and insist that
I be pro-active - I am - some of you know me to be 'tenacious' - this is
correct - but even that has not helped me here. Advice has been offered,
best practice quoted, OH&S quoted, internet sites accessed, printed,
handed over in report form, promises are made by those in authority and
then broken.
We stockpile safely off site and wait
This is true for ALL toxic waste in this laboratory, as well as the rest
of the labs, together with mercury filled blood pressure cuffs, some
broken, 'expired' rat poison, old mercury thermometers, 'unknown'
unlabelled chemicals from shut down labs...some scary stuff
But - I digress - back to the DAB....and how to manage the growing
volume of dab waste.....
Any suggestions.....???
Anyone.....???
-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Tom
McNemar
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 4:59 PM
To: Joe Nocito; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] DAB disposal
I have the Dako unit. It separates the hazardous/non-hazardous waste.
The DAB goes into a 20L carboy that is then hauled off-site for
disposal.
Tom McNemar, HT(ASCP)
Histology Co-ordinator
Licking Memorial Health Systems
(740) 348-4163
(740) 348-4166
tmcnemar@lmhealth.org
www.LMHealth.org
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