[Histonet] Formalin down the drain??

Tue Jul 26 13:25:50 CDT 2011

Been reading all these responses...so funny how different places do different things.  An old job I worked at poured gallons and gallons down the drain on a daily basis.  I do think there was some kind of filter system in place, but all the same...how do you filter out all the little things??  I would say just follow whatever your EHS people say =)

Sarah Goebel-Dysart, BA, HT(ASCP)
Histotechnologist
Mirna Therapeutics
2150 Woodward Street
Suite 100
Austin, Texas  78744
(512)901-0900 ext. 6912

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Podawiltz, Thomas
Sent: Tuesday, July 26, 2011 10:15 AM
To: Rene J Buesa; mtitford <@t> aol.com; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; BillO'Donnell
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Formalin down the drain??

Not just OSHA, but the EPA prohibits it http://www.epa.gov/lawsregs/topics/waste.html#hazwaste 

Tom Podawiltz HT (ASCP)
Histology Section Head/Laboratory Safety Officer. 

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Rene J Buesa
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 4:54 PM
To: mtitford <@t> aol.com; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; BillO'Donnell
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Formalin down the drain??

Your "rant" is interesting but wrong.
OSHA (which is a FEDERAL agency) prohibits dumping ANY type of hazardous materials down the drain. 
I was also taken aback by Amy's posting.
No, regardless of what your state law may or may not permit you to dump in the drain, you should not put some $avings over the well being of the environment and the drinking water of people.
Formaldehyde is toxic and recently officially declared carcinogen.
In the same way that "frackting" methods to obtain gas from shale has been deemed dangerous, equally dumping formaldehyde, xylene and any other chemical ought to be the source of concern. This in my "rant"!
René J.

--- On Mon, 7/25/11, O'Donnell, Bill <billodonnell <@t> catholichealth.net> wrote:

From: O'Donnell, Bill <billodonnell <@t> catholichealth.net>
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Formalin down the drain??
To: mtitford <@t> aol.com, histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Date: Monday, July 25, 2011, 4:19 PM

One should not automtically assume that laws are broken here. 

(Rant begins here)

First of all, it is the States that set the limits of what can and
cannot be dumped. All States must meet Federal standards,but States are
free to determine how they do that. (It's one of the benefits of the
American Revolution) Some states are more heavily regulated than others.
California and Colorado come to mind immediately.

Different organizations, locations and circumstances may allow for
disposal of products that may be diluted to such a degree as to be
negligable in the waste stream. Our institution generates 65,000 gallons
of waste water daily, which allows us to make the dilution limits of
anything that our histo lab could produce in a day. 

No laws are broken if I should pour xylene, formalin, alcohols or other
common compounds that we might generate on even our busiest days into
the waste stream. 

HOWEVER, while we may be allowed to do so by state and local
regulations, we have decided it is not prudent to do so and so we
collect, ship, neutralize or recycle most all that the histo lab
generates. We do this at the lab level, with lab funding. It is the
responsible thing to do, and we are morally and ethically bound to do
so, but we are not outside the law if we do not.

If your local municipal waste systems people give you the green light on
dumping formalin down the drain..... you are not breaking the law,
federal or otherwise, in doing so. 

It is true that if you wish to affect things globally, one has to be
responsible locally.

Here is what my rant comes down to.... Make certain that you are meeting
local standards for your chemical disposal or you may well be breaking
the law. And a big thank you (from myself, my children, grandchildren
and great-grand children and that lady who sells me the slurpee at the
local convenience store) for anything anyone is doing above and beyond
that. 

:)Rant is over... Have a nice day :)  

You cannot "Like" this rant on Facebook or follow this rant on Twitter. 

Bill

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of
mtitford <@t> aol.com
Sent: Monday, July 25, 2011 12:59 PM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Formalin down the drain??

I was a little distressed to read the message from Amy in Camp Hill,
Pennsylvania declaring she dumps everything ("and I mean everything")
from her histology lab down the drain. There are a bunch of Federal Laws
governing handling and disposal of chemicals used in the histology
laboratory and she appears to be breaking several. The wastewater law
limits how much formalin you can discard down the sink (and you cannot
dilute as you go). The same law forbids disposal of organic solvents
like xylene, or solutions containing organic solvents. Local laws in
Pennsylvania may be more strict.

I recommend to Amy that she purchases a book like, "Hazardous materials
in the histopathology laboratory" by Janet & Richard Dapson and read the
whole thing cover to cover!

Michael Titford
Pathology USA
Mobile AL USA

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