More on Re: [Histonet] RE: DAB disposal

Joe Nocito jnocito <@t> satx.rr.com
Tue Jun 13 18:56:32 CDT 2006


please remember I asked about the Ventana DAB disposal. That's the point. 
All the money is going to pay Ventana. I don't have any extra money for 
disposal.
    I opted for my raise to be spread around to all my techs so they could 
get a little more. Which meant that all my 10 techs got a five cent raise.
    Once in a while, they'll help me take out the trash and clean the 
restrooms. I hope no one notices that I've been diluting the hand soap to a 
1:10 dilution or that I've been separating the two-ply toilet paper to make 
it last longer.
    Ya gotta do what ya gotta do.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Had a long meeting with my medical director, CEO and 
Ventana rep today.
    For those who know the joke, I was like the lady who tried to return the 
toaster in
K-Mart and kept raising my arms yelling "pinch my n--ples, pinch my 
n--ples". I told the joke to my immuno tech and I thought she was going to 
an accident she was laughing so hard.
    And you think I'm funny on the Histonet. Try working with me. We have a 
couple of boxes of Depends just in case.

Joe

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Gayle Callis" <gcallis <@t> montana.edu>
To: "Emma JONES" <EJones <@t> Ventanamed.com>; 
<Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, June 13, 2006 11:15 AM
Subject: More on Re: [Histonet] RE: DAB disposal


> There has already been a great deal of discussion about this problem, and 
> specific guidelines are often in place and implemented, even in remote 
> areas and for small(or large) laboratories.  Have you done a Histonet 
> Archive search on messages concerning this issue, it is there and been 
> going on for a LONG time - well over 10 years or more - this is not a new 
> issue.  Our laboratory has been well aware of DAB treatment for disposal 
> and did it for a time, but opted NOT to do it long before we were required 
> by regulation to cease but collect.    This treatment never addressed the 
> by product issue i.e. what happens to the DAB after chemical treatment. 
> Are the byproducts going to be just as bad or worse?
>
> If a laboratory can afford any kind of expensive immunostaining instrument 
> such you sell, or even if they do manual IHC or other routine stains, then 
> they should be able to afford collection/disposal services or seek such a 
> service.
>
> We are a very small user of these compounds you mention i.e DAB, silver, 
> any heavy metal compounds (chromic acid) even if only 25 mls of the 
> stuff - it is collected for disposal.  Solvents never go down the drain. 
> As for bleaches, detergents, and disinfectants,  wastewater plants do 
> allow certain things but these are also common to households, not just 
> laboratories.
>
> As far as I am concerned and there are a lot of others who might agree, 
> ALL labs, no matter if they are the "little guy" need to address and 
> implement chemical waste collection and disposal.    The only time this 
> could change is an exemption in a locale but laboratories need to find out 
> if an exemption is in place before the dumping.  Once again, users 
> beware - check out what is allowed for your area.
>
>  I'm curious - you never said if this is your company's stand for DAB 
> disposal or if it is just your comment.  Does Ventana advise/tell people 
> to treat their DAB wastes for drain dumping?  It certainly would not be a 
> good policy to do so and does not encourage people to be responsible for 
> their chemical usage.
>
> I liked the idea of one lady's  suggestion to use TBS DAB-Out, maybe that 
> is an answer and I compliment her on her seeking a solution to the 
> problem.
>
> Gayle Callis HTL, HT, MT(ASCP)
> Research Histopathology Supervisor
> Veterinary Molecular Biology
> Montana State University
> Bozeman MT 59717
>
>
>
>
>  At 02:57 AM 6/13/2006, you wrote:
>
>
>>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 <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
>>[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of 
>>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]
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--
>>No virus found in this outgoing message.
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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=iso-8859-1
>>
>>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?
>>
>>__________________________________________________
>>Do You Yahoo!?
>>Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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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 <@t> mdanderson.org
>>
>>Subject: [Histonet] Vectastain elite kits
>>
>>To: histonet <@t> 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 <@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.
>>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 <@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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>>Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
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>
>
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