Hazardous waste is defined as a substance that poses a hazard to human health or the environment when improperly managed. A chemical waste is considered hazardous if it is listed on a Federal or State regulations list or if it exhibits one or more of the following characteristics:
- Ignitable: generally are liquids with a flash point below 60°C (140°F).
- Corrosive: generally aqueous wastes with a pH of 2 or less or 12.5 or greater.
- Reactive: are wastes that are unstable, explosive, and capable of detonation or react violently with water.
- Toxic: a chemical that poses a hazard to health or the environment.
Determining if a waste is a hazardous waste can be difficult. Strict sewer, air emissions and landfill regulations require that hazardous waste is not drain disposed, evaporated in fume hoods or disposed of in the normal trash. It is PSU's position that faculty, staff, and students assume all chemicals are hazardous and must be managed through EHS . EHS can also assist in classifying waste as hazardous or non-hazardous.
Hazardous chemical waste includes, but is not limited to:
- Chemicals that can no longer be used for their intended use (e.g. aged or surplus inventory)
- Mislabeled or unlabeled chemicals
- Abandoned chemicals
- Material in deteriorating or damaged containers
- Residuals in chemical containers
- Diluted solutions containing hazardous chemicals
- Used photographic fixer and developer
- Debris contaminated with a hazardous material (rags, paper towels, lab diapers, gloves, etc.)
BIOLOGICAL WASTE
Biological waste encompasses blood and blood products, pathological waste, cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals, contaminated animal carcasses and bedding, sharps, and biotechnology by-product effluents (i.e. recombinant DNA).
In most cases, solid biological waste is accumulated in the laboratory in red-bag-lined plastic bins, while liquid wastes are disinfected and sink-disposed. All sharps must be collected in designated sharps containers. To request pickup or replacement of waste containers, please submit a work request.
RADIOACTIVE WASTE
EHS’s Radioactive Safety Program oversees radioactive material use and disposal under the requirements set by federal and state rules and regulations, and the PSU Radioactive Materials License issued by the State of Oregon Department of Health.
EHS’s Radioactive Safety Program provides training, consultation and resources to ensure safe and compliant storage, packaging, labeling, collection, sampling and disposal of radioactive waste.
Radioactive waste generators are required to:
- Segregate waste streams by radioisotope and physical form.
- Minimize the volume and activity of radioactive waste.
- Properly package and label waste.
- Provide funding for the cost of disposal of radioactive waste. This includes the disposal of radioactive material that is no longer being used (legacy radioactive waste).
COLLECTION
Following Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) requirements, EHS oversees the collection and storage of hazardous waste materials and coordinates proper disposal.
To request a pickup of these items please submit a work request. Please describe the item(s) to be picked up and the location where they are being kept, as well as any replacement containers you may need.
Keep in mind that once you place your work request it may take up to one week before collection actually occurs.
A properly filled out Hazardous Chemical Label is required to accompany all liquid hazardous waste. These labels are available from the Hazardous Waste Lab in SRTC.