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.
>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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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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