I think I would be looking for another job if I had to deal with your safety people.  They need something better to do.  

For the record, we separate, then neutralize here.  At Shady Grove Adventist they separate and ship for incineration.  

Ross Stapf
Histology Supervisor
Washington Adventist Hospital
Takoma Park MD

>>> Vinnie Della Speranza  09/10/02 02:08PM >>>
Gayle,
You and I are in agreement. I, like you.consider the lipid in the
formalin to be a colloid for lack of any better term.it is commonly
found floating on the surface of the waste formalin. this is where I'm
at now. the Safety people want it (lipid) out but can't offer any advice
on how to do just that and of course, I will consider any method that
creates additional safety concerns for staff and another full time job
to accomplish, undesirable.
re: Carrie's suggestion, neutralization followed by drain disposal
would not be acceptable at my facility. in fact, this would probably
cause me greater headaches as I would have to prove that no formaldehyde
remained in the waste before disposal could occur.
 
I'm hoping someone will have a reasonable suggestion for what has
quickly becoming a crisis as they are not allowing me to do any
additional disposal of tissues or waste formalin until a solution is
found. we don't have the space to permit this stuff to accumulate.
 
Vinnie

>>> Gayle Callis  09/10/02 11:59AM >>>
Vinnie, 

Hazel brings up a good point.  Next question, is what do you do with
the
separate blood and lipid waste? Has your safety people thought of that?
 or
do you have a way to dispose of these in another manner?  

Maybe looking into formalin recycling would be a good choice, since
you
have to do so much work to satisfy the safety people.  Then the only
waste
you have to dispose of is what is left in bottom of recycling unit,
small
by comparison to volumes of formalin.  Personally, I don't think one
can
separate lipid out totally, it makes a colloidal solution (hope I am
thinking correctly here) and I am sure everyone has seen cloudy
formalin
from very fatty tissue - and if you can't get it all out, what does
your
safety people make you do then?? 

Good luck


At 09:02 AM 9/10/02 -0500, you wrote:
>I don't know if I can offer a reasonable solution, but wouldn't these
>elements be harmless as they are fixed?   I don't understand their
reasoning
>for this.   Is the waste company that hauls the spent formalin away
>suggesting this?    We have to pour ours off as well.
>I sure hope this isn't something that will come my way.    I'll be
>interested in replies to this thread.
>Hazel
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From:    Vinnie Della Speranza [SMTP:dellav@musc.edu] 
>> Sent:    Tuesday, September 10, 2002 8:43 AM
>> To:    histonet@pathology.swmed.edu 
>> Subject:    formalin separation from tissues for disposal
>> 
>> I know that this topic has been discussed on the list numerous
times
>> before however we are being faced with a slightly different slant
that I
>> would welcome your input on.
>>  
>> Our Safety dept. has become conerned that our waste formalin
contains
>> blood and lipid that they feel must be separated from the formalin
before
>> it can be carted away. 
>> We currently use a filtering funnel when pouring off the waste
formalin
>> but this won't extract the lipid and blood which are in liquid
suspension
>> in the formalin.
>>  
>> Has anyone else been required to address this issue? I'm hoping
someone
>> can offer a reasonable solution that will satisfy our Safety folks.
>>  
>> thanks
>>  
>>  
>>  
>> Vinnie Della Speranza
>> Manager for Anatomic Pathology Services
>> Medical University of South Carolina
>> 165 Ashley Avenue  Suite 309
>> Charleston, SC 29425
>> Ph: 843-792-6353
>> fax: 843-792-8974
>
>
>
Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology - Marsh Lab
Montana State University - Bozeman
19th and Lincoln St
Bozeman MT 59717-3610

406 994-6367 (lab with voice mail)
406 994-4303 (FAX)

email: gcallis@montana.edu