[Histonet] Chromic Acid Disposal

[Terri Braud]

The best thing to do would be to contact either your city chemist or the state EPA inspector to be sure to be in compliance with all local regulations. A reducing agent, such as sodium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite or sodium thiosulfate can be used to turn CrO3 into the less toxic Cr(III) oxide.
Alternatively, I would collect the waste and have a chemical waste disposal company dispose of it.  I'm not a big fan of the "flush-it-down-the-sink-with-water" method, unless we are talking minutes amounts.  If nothing else, it is about being a better steward of our planet.

Terri L. Braud, HT(ASCP)
Anatomic Pathology Supervisor
Laboratory
Holy Redeemer Hospital
1648 Huntingdon Pike
Meadowbrook, PA 19046
ph: 215-938-3689
fax: 215-938-3874
Care, Comfort, and Heal

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-request at lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-request at lists.utsouthwestern.edu] 
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2019 1:00 PM
To: histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Histonet Digest, Vol 185, Issue 6

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Today's Topics:

   1. Re: 5% Chromic acid disposal (Bob Richmond)
   2. Re: 5% Chromic acid disposal (Bryan Llewellyn)


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Message: 1
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 13:29:09 -0400
From: Bob Richmond <rsrichmond at gmail.com>
To: "Histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu"
	<histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] 5% Chromic acid disposal
Message-ID:
	<CAOKsRH5_04a7g_v1p2A3CWGk46n=4j-3bHRcAek6rKms_dG1YA at mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

Sharon at Celligent Diagnostics in Spartanburg SC asks:

>>We are changing our GMS stain over from a Periodic acid kit to a 5%
chromic acid kit. What do the labs that use chromic acid in special
staining do with the waste/ used chromic acid?<<

I hope someone can give an authoritative answer to this question, with
references. Chromic acid (chromium trioxide, CrO3) is a strong oxidant, and
chromium is toxic and an environmental hazard. I'd be comfortable with
pouring it down the drain with a LOT of water, but what do the authorities
want us to do?

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist
Maryville TN


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Message: 2
Date: Thu, 11 Apr 2019 11:26:01 -0700
From: Bryan Llewellyn <llewllew at shaw.ca>
To: Histonet <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Subject: Re: [Histonet] 5% Chromic acid disposal
Message-ID: <0cabb492-6985-4cb6-0783-172a98cdccf4 at shaw.ca>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed

I suspect disposal might vary depending on the State. I live in British 
Columbia and we had permission from out city (Prince George) to use a 
dribble tank with lots of water and flush them into the local river (The 
Fraser), but I opted to collect all the toxic chemicals and ship them 
periodically to a facility in our neighboring Province of Alberta for 
recovery and reuse. There must be facilities of that kind somewhere in 
the United States, I would think. That is probably the best option. We 
used the same procedure for mercury salts, osmium tetroxide, etc.

Bryan Llewellyn


Bob Richmond via Histonet wrote:
> Sharon at Celligent Diagnostics in Spartanburg SC asks:
>
>>> We are changing our GMS stain over from a Periodic acid kit to a 5%
> chromic acid kit. What do the labs that use chromic acid in special
> staining do with the waste/ used chromic acid?<<
>
> I hope someone can give an authoritative answer to this question, with
> references. Chromic acid (chromium trioxide, CrO3) is a strong oxidant, and
> chromium is toxic and an environmental hazard. I'd be comfortable with
> pouring it down the drain with a LOT of water, but what do the authorities
> want us to do?
>
> Bob Richmond
> Samurai Pathologist
> Maryville TN
> _______________________________________________
> Histonet mailing list
> Histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
>



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End of Histonet Digest, Vol 185, Issue 6
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