[Histonet] Chromic Acid Disposal

Fri Apr 12 13:11:42 CDT 2019

If you have an account with a waste company for other things, you can certainly ask them - my Stericycle rep has been a great resource. We used to have Clean Harbors/Safety-Kleen, I'm sure they can all help

Alison Perl, HTL(ASCP)CM
Anatomic Pathology Manager 
(914) 302-8424
aperl at cmmedical.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Terri Braud via Histonet [mailto:histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu] 
Sent: Friday, April 12, 2019 1:32 PM
To: 'histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu'
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [Histonet] Chromic Acid Disposal

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-----
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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

------------------------------

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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