[Histonet] RE: DAB disposal

Tue Jun 13 03:57:19 CDT 2006

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.......=20

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

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histonet-request <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 7:23 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
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 <heidgordon <@t> yahoo.com>
Subject: [Histonet] formalin disposal
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Message-ID: <20060612172436.91656.qmail <@t> web30715.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=3Diso-8859-1

I work at a facility that processes its own tissue.=20
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? =20

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around=20
http://mail.yahoo.com=20

Emma,

Is this what Ventana advises?  Labs should check with their local waste=20
water treatment plant before TREATING anything or putting "diluted" DAB=20
down the drain. If laboratories are generating this kind of waste on a=20
weekly basis, this adds up over time. In general, waste water plants do =
not=20
like this and EPA does monitor water around here.  Montana has discharge =

rules (maybe for larger industries) but our city does not want =
medicines,=20
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=20
chemical disposal than add even "minute" amounts of a potential =
carcinogen=20
to our water supply.  We use very little  DAB in our lab, but all=20
chromogens AEC, DAB, permanent red, etc, (very low volume usage) are=20
collected for chemical waste pickup and proper disposal.

An interesting sidelight, tested water wells in parts of Montana now =
have=20
traces of sunscreen chemical, medicines, herbicides,   nitrates and=20
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=20
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 <@t> mdanderson.org

Subject: [Histonet] Vectastain elite kits

To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu

Message-ID

=20

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 <@t> 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.=20
I am stuck until someone in authority writes the book of rules.=20
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=20
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 <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Tom
McNemar
Sent: Monday, June 12, 2006 4:59 PM
To: Joe Nocito; histonet <@t> 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 <@t> lmhealth.org
www.LMHealth.org

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