Hazardous Waste

​Laboratory and Medical Testing

• ​Characterization of Spent Xylene Used in Tissue Processing: Pr​ovides information about the characterization of spent Xylene used in tissue processing.​​
  
• Disposal of Bouin's Fixative Solution: Disposal guidance for pre-made Bouin’s fixative solution. This solution is used in the histology lab for fixing and staining tissue samples.
  
• How to Dispose of Clinic Laboratory Equipment Effluent: Guidance on disposal options, considerations, and characterization of waste effluents from clinical laboratory equipment, including waste sampling and documentation requirements.
  
• Management Guidance for Barium Sulfate: Guidance for the disposal of used/unused formulations of barium sulfate used in laboratory radiological diagnostic procedures.
  
• Management of Waste from the ThinPrep® Processor: Guidance on the disposal of PreservCyt® and CytoLyt® solutions, the two chemical solutions used in the ThinPrep Pap Test for cervical cancer screening.
  
• Sodium Azide Classification and Management: Guidance on the disposal of used and unused solutions containing sodium azide; a chemical preservative found in hospital laboratory reagents and stock solutions.
• Used and Unused Formalin Management​: Guidance on the disposal of used and unused Formalin; a formaldehyde solution used in pathological laboratories as a fixative or preservative for tissue samples and organ specimens.​​
  
• Chemical Distillation at Medical Treatment Facilities​: Medical laboratories frequently use the chemicals formalin, ethyl alcohol (ethanol), and xylene for tissue sample analysis. This factsheet provides information on distilling and reclaiming the used chemicals for reuse instead of disposal.
  

Dental Facilities

• Waste Management from Dental Three-Dimensional Printing Processes Summary​: Provides information on the materials used, health hazards, and management of wastes.​
  
• Disposal of Extracted Teeth with Amalgam Restorations (Fillings): Provides information on the APHC’s multi-year hazardous waste characterization study of extracted teeth with amalgam fillings, as well as disposal guidance based on those results.
  
• Inspecting and Maintaining Suction Pump Amalgam Separators: Provides information and recommendations for effective maintenance of suction pump amalgam separators.
  
• Management of Waste Dental Amalgam: Guidance on management of all sources of waste dental amalgam for proper disposal or recycling thru a commercial company.
  

Patient Treatment

• Disposition of Single Use Silver/Silver Chloride Patient Electrodes: Information on which silver chloride electrodes are not a hazardous waste.
  
• Hazardous Waste Characterization of Dietary Supplements: Provides information by the EPA on the regulatory status of meals, ready-to-eat water activated ration heaters.
  
• Management of Used and Unused Insulin: Guidance on management and disposal of used and unused insulin in its various forms (i.e., IV bags, syringes, pens, vials) as EPA hazardous waste number D024, regulated medical waste, solid waste, or return to a pharmaceutical reverse distributor, as applicable.
  
• Waste Characterization of Used Silver Nitrate Applicator Sticks: Provides the rationale for characterizing used and unused silver nitrate applicator sticks as non-infectious, ignitable, and toxic hazardous waste (HW), which is identified by the HW numbers D001 and D011.​
  

Hazardous Waste Identification and Management

• Application of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Penalty Policy to Common Healthcare Facility Violations: Provides information about the increased risk of fines for waste management violations that healthcare facilities may face.
  
• Hazardous Waste Turn-ins from Off-Post Clinics​: Provides basic information on regulatory requirements for turning in hazardous waste from clinics not located on military installations.​
  
• Management of Acute (P-Listed) Pharmaceutical Containers: Summarizes the hazardous waste (HW) standards for management of empty containers that held an acute HW (P-listed) pharmaceutical, to include any remaining residues. Standards vary depending on whether a state adopted the EPA HW Pharmaceuticals Rule (40 CFR 266 Subpart P).
  
• Low Mercury Fluorescent Lamps: Test results of low-mercury containing fluorescent lamps.
  
• Hazardous Waste Accumulation ​Area Management: Federal requirements of hazardous waste Satellite Accumulation Areas and Central Accumulation and Storage Areas.
  
• Household Pesticides Disposal​: Provides guidance for disposing of waste pesticides at the home.
  
• Managing Water-Activated Ration Heaters from Meals, Ready-to-Eat: Clarifies EPA recommendations for managing used and unused flameless ration heaters on military installations.​
  
• Hazardous Waste Identification: An introduction to hazardous waste identification for medical treatment and research facilities to assist in properly classifying and managing their generated wastes.
  
• Ignitable Waste Exclusion Clarification: Guidance and discussion of the EPA percent alcohol ignitable hazardous waste (D001) exclusion as it applies to medical laboratory alcohol-based aqueous wastes, to include characterization, other regulatory considerations, and disposal.
  
• Universal Waste Management: Guidance on management of federal universal wastes which include lamps, batteries, pesticides, mercury-containing equipment, and aerosol cans.
  
• Chemical Agent Resistant Coating Waste Disposal​: ​Provides disposal information on Chemical Agent Resistant Coating paint and associated wastes.
  
• Unknown Waste Analysis: Provides information on determining if a waste is a listed hazardous waste or exhibits the characteristics of a hazardous waste.​
  

​Additional Resourc​es

Federal Regulatory Resources

• U.S. EPA Home Page Provides a wealth of information on environmental laws, regulations, and environmental topics.
  
• U.S. EPA Hazardous Waste Information Direct link to the EPA's hazardous waste program.  Contains laws and regulations, compliance information, enforcement information and more.
• Federal Register Contains government agency rules, proposed pules, and public notices.
• FedCenter  Federal government's home for comprehensive environmental stewardship and compliance assistance information for Federal facility managers and their agencies.
• Electronic Code of Federal Regulations  Contains the codes of federal regulations at no charge.  Choose "Title 40 - Protection of the Environment" from the drop down. 

State Regulatory Resources

• U.S. State Environmental Agencies Provides links to the U.S. State environmental agencies.
• State Universal Waste Regulations Provides information on state universal programs and direct links to the state regulations.
• States that Adopted the EPA Hazardous Waste Pharmaceuticals Rule Map showing the states that adopted the EPA Hazardous Pharmaceuticals Rule and links to state hazardous waste laws.
• States that Adopted the EPA Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements Rule Map showing the states that adopted the EPA Hazardous Waste Generator Improvements Rule and links to state hazardous waste laws. 

DOD/Army Resources

• DOD Environment, Safety and Occupational Health Network Information Exchange (DENIX) Platform used to share and report DOD specific environment, safety & occupational health information with the public and DOD communities.
• U.S. Army Environmental Command Provides environmental expertise, program management and project management in compliance, conservation, restoration, and pollution prevention.
• Army Regulation 200-1, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Assigns environmental responsibilities to Army organizations and agencies and specifies program requirements.
• DOD Environmental Standards for Overseas Installations Home to the Overseas Environmental Baseline Guidance Document (OEBGD), DoD Publication 4715.05-G and Environmental Final Governing Standards for specific foreign countries. Requires a user account to access the regulations.

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