Guidelines for Drain Disposal of Chemicals

UC Berkeley's EBMUD Wastewater Discharge Permit requires that the campus maintain a Slug Discharge* Prevention and Contingency (SDPC) Plan. The purpose of this SDPC Plan is to eliminate or minimize the potential for an accidental, or slug discharge of any pollutant including laboratory, construction, maintenance, and photoprocessing chemicals which could interfere with EBMUD's Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Due to the diverse nature of laboratory, shop, construction, and facility operations that use, store, and handle chemicals, the SDPC Plan does not contain specific prevention practices for all campus operations. General best management practices (BMPs) for spill prevention applicable to all chemical use, handling, and storage operations are presented below. These spill prevention measures should be incorporated as standard operating procedures for chemical use operations.

Measures for containing toxic organic and inorganic pollutants, including solvents, from laboratories, shops, construction and facilities operations:

General best management practices for slug discharge prevention:

If prohibited chemicals or substances enter a sink or drain, immediately notify the Office of EH&S at 642-3073 during business hours or, after hours and weekends, call the University Police Department dispatch by dialing 643-6760 or 911 from a regular phone or 642-3333 from a cell phone.

Upon receiving notification of a chemical release, the Office of EH&S will make the appropriate agency and Campus contacts.

Class A chemicals include many simple organic and inorganic compounds, as well as common inorganic chemicals. This includes most normal biological metabolites and nontoxic cellular constituents (proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, soluble fats, and their precursors and catabolites).

This list is illustrative, but cannot include all of the chemicals that do or could fall into Class A; therefore, if you have a question as to the classification of a material contact EH&S.

This list comprises water-soluble compounds of low toxicity hazard cations and anions. Compounds of any of these ions must be in the range of pH 5 - 10.

This list is illustrative, but can not include all of the chemicals that do or could fall into Class C; therefore, if you have a question as to the classification of a material contact EH&S.

2. INORGANIC CHEMICALS

Chemicals containing the following metals and compounds:

TABLE III - OTHER TOXIC POLLUTANTS (METALS AND CYANIDE) AND TOTAL PHENOLS

antimony, Total
arsenic, Total
beryllium, Total
cadmium, Total
chromium, Total
copper, Total
lead, Total
mercury, Total

nickel, Total
selenium, Total
silver, Total
thallium, Total
zinc, Total
cyanide, Total
phenols, Total

Appendix IV – Additional Guidance on the Disposal of Radioactive Materials

When you apply for authorization to use radioactive materials on the campus, the application is processed by the Radiation Safety group in EH&S. At the time of that application the issue of sewer disposal and permits/limitations will be discussed with you. The result will be that the RUA you receive indicates if radioactive materials under your permit may be disposed to the sanitary sewer. This permission will appear on the RUA and will include a limit as to the quantity (in milliCuries) that may be disposed to the sewer on a quarterly (or less) basis. Radiation Safety staff will work with others and the appropriate committees to assure that any necessary special requests that are needed are submitted and evaluated.

Exceedences of these limits may result in actions that are described in the campus Radiation Safety Manual.

“Mixed radioactive waste” is a waste that is both hazardous material and radioactive. These mixed wastes cannot be disposed to the sewer.

Appendix V – Additional Guidance on the Determination of Solubility

There are many approaches that may be used to determine a chemical compound's solubility in water. The following discusses two of the more common approaches.

The solubility class of the compound to be released could be determined directly from common literature data (e.g., Handbook of Chemistry and Physics - CRC Press, and Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry - McGraw-Hill Book Company). If a compound is classified as “vs’ (very soluble) or “s” (soluble), this would indicate the compound is “readily soluble.” On the other hand, if it is classified as “i” (insoluble), “sls” (slightly soluble), or “vsls” (very slightly soluble), this would indicate materials that are “not readily soluble.” Certain compounds are designated as class “d” (decompose). Additionally, if the decomposed species of these compounds are classified as either ‘vs’ or ‘s,’ this would indicate that the parent compound is “readily soluble.” If these decomposed species are simple ions, such compounds (class ‘d’) should be considered “readily soluble.”

Compound solubilities (g/100 ml or mole fraction per 100 ml) are also listed in the chemical literature. From a review of general scientific literature, “formal solubilities” greater than 0.003 mole/liter would indicate the compound is readily soluble. Formal solubilities less than 0.003 mole/liter would indicate compounds that are “not readily soluble.”

Solubility information is readily available from the supplier. Therefore, radioactive materials to be disposed to the sanitary sewer must be Readily Soluble (RS). Materials that are “NRS” or “Unknown” indicate these materials MAY NOT be disposed to the campus sanitary sewer system. ONLY materials that have a solubility of RS can be disposed to the sanitary sewer system.

Solubility Product (Ksp) Determination: The solubility product constant of the compound could also be used to determine if a compound is readily soluble in water. The solubility product constant, Ksp, for a strong electrolyte MmAa, is expressed as:

Ksp = [M]^m[A]^a

where “[M]” and "m" are the ionic concentration (mole/liter) and the number of moles, respectively, of the dissolved cation; and [A] and "a" are the ionic concentration and the number of moles, respectively, of the dissolved anion.

For a simple electrolytic compound, with one mole of a dissolved cation species and one mole of a dissolved anion species, a Ksp greater than 1.00 E-05 mole/liter would indicate that a compound is readily soluble. For other compounds with more complex dissolution reactions (i.e., more than one mole dissolved for each species and/or more anionic or cationic species present in the dissolved products), the Ksp constant would increase exponentially, based on the number of moles and/or the number of dissociated species. For example, if three moles are present (two for the anion and one for the cation), the unit of Ksp would be:

Mole³/liter³, and the corresponding Ksp would be (1 E-05)^3/2 or
3.2 E-08 mole/liter; the same principle could be applied for more complex dissolution reactions.

Formal Solubility Determination: Compound solubility (g/100 ml or mole fraction per 100 ml) are also listed in the chemical literature. From a review of general scientific literature, "formal solubilities" greater than 0.003 mole/liter would indicate that a compound is readily soluble.

The general relation between the formal solubility, Sf, and the solubility product, Ksp, of a strong electrolyte MmAa in water is given by:

Sf = (Ksp/(m^m a^a ))^1/(m+a)

where Ksp is the solubility product, [M] is the molar concentration of the metal ion (cation), [A] is the molar concentration of the anion, "m" is the number of moles of dissolved cation per mole of dissolved substance, and "a" is the number of moles of the dissolved anion per mole of dissolved substance.

A formal solubility of less than 0.003 mole/liter indicates a compound that is not readily soluble.

It should be pointed out that all values mentioned above (e.g., solubility class, formal solubility, and solubility product) correspond to measurements taken under standard conditions (e.g., 25^øC, 101.3 kPa, pH of 7, and Eh of 0).

If material to be released would not qualify as being readily soluble, it will require an exemption from the campus guidelines. Exemptions are judged on a case-by-case basis. A permit for disposal of these materials may be granted, if it is demonstrated that release to sanitary sewerage is consistent with applicable regulations and in the public interest.

References

For further discussion on the determination of solubility products and formal solubility, refer to Chapter 6, "Precipitation and Dilution," from Water Chemistry, by Vernon L. Snoeyink and David Jenkins (John Wiley and Sons: 1983) or texts relating to physical and/or analytical chemistry..

Annual Book of ASTM Standards. Volume 11.01, "Water (I)." American Society for Testing and Materials, Easton, MD, 1989.

CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics. CRC Press, Inc., Boca Raton, FL, 65th ed, 1984.

Lange's Handbook of Chemistry. McGraw-Hill, Inc., New York, NY, 13th ed, 1985.

Snoeyink, Vernon L. and David Jenkins, Water Chemistry. John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York, NY, 1980.

Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater. American Public Health Association, Washington, DC, 17th ed, 1989.

Appendix VI: Decision Making Tree

Implementation of the UC Berkeley Guidelines for Drain Disposal of Chemicals

Notice: EBMUD regularly monitors campus wastewater. Failure to comply with wastewater discharge regulations could lead to fines of up to $25,000 per day and/or restrictions on University water use.

Hazardous Wastes

Hazardous wastes are prohibited from discharge. Chemical wastes are hazardous if they are:

corrosive
reactive
ignitable
moderately
or highly toxic

General Rules for Sanitary Drain Disposal

Only water-soluble substances may be disposed of in sinks, toilets, and floor drains. Solutions should be flushed down the drain with an appropriate amount of water. (Residue animal or vegetable fats and oils generated as a result of normal cleaning activities are an exception to the solubility rule. However, significant amounts of these oils and fats (more than a 500 ml, approximately) can cause clogging in interior drains and so should be collected and disposed of appropriately.

Only solutions in the range of pH 5-10 may disposed of in the sink.

Highly toxic, malodorous, or lachrymatory (that is, those that cause strong eye irritation) chemicals shall not be disposed of down the drain.

Old, unwanted, or waste chemicals and products must not be poured down the drain as a means of disposal. These materials must be picked up EH&S personnel.

Specific Process for Laboratory drain disposal

Step One

Do you know the chemical identity of the material and the concentration?
Are you sure that the material is not hazardous (corrosive, reactive, ignitable, moderately or highly toxic).
Is the pH between 5 and 10?

If the answer to any of the above is NO, the material cannot be disposed of to the sewer.

If the answer to all of the above is YES, proceed.

Step Two

Is the material a Class A? (chemicals that pose little or no hazard in dilute aqueous solution). Class A chemicals include many simple organic and inorganic compounds, as well as common inorganic chemicals. Included in Class A are most normal biological metabolites and non-toxic cellular constituents (proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, soluble fats, and their precursors and catabolites). A partial list of Class A chemicals, derived from state regulations and Appendix K of Reference 2, is provided in Appendix I.

If YES, these aqueous solutions are suitable for disposal down the drain in quantities of up to approximately
100 g of solute per laboratory per day (e.g. 100 g of ethanol in one liter of water).

If NO, continue.

Step Three

Is the material a Class B? (chemicals of moderate hazard in dilute aqueous solution). Class B chemicals include all of the chemicals listed as toxic (T) in the California Code of Regulations Section 22-66261.30 et. seq. that are water soluble, except for those listed as Class A chemicals in Appendix I or Class C chemicals in Appendix III. Class B chemicals also include all inorganic salts listed in reference 2 as high hazard in tables 6.1 and 6.2. A partial list of Class B chemicals appears in Appendix II.

If YES, these aqueous solutions are suitable for disposal down the drain with excess water in quantities no greater than 1 g of solute per laboratory per day).

If NO, continue.

Step Four

Is the material a Class C? (chemicals that may not be drain disposed in any amount except by written approval of the EMC or their delegate). Class C chemicals include all chemicals that are not soluble as defined above, chemicals that cause unacceptable concentrations of offensive, toxic, or explosive vapors, and chemicals that are toxic or reactive at concentrations below 1 ppm in aqueous solution. Class C chemicals include the chemicals identified in the Main Campus EBMUD Wastewater Discharge Permit "Priority Pollutant Management Plan" Compliance Requirement (Federal Clean Water Act priority pollutants listed in 40 CFR Part 122 Appendix D, Tables II and III). A partial list of Class C chemicals appears in Appendix III.

If YES, these aqueous solutions are not suitable for disposal down the drain. However, you may ask for a specific exception by making a request to the EMC. Contact EH&S to determine how this request is made.

If NO, contact EH&S for assistance in classifying your material for disposal purposes or to arrange pick-up of this material for proper disposal.

Note: Radioactive material disposals to the sewer must meet the above criteria and must be authorized by an RUA. Dispose of these materials in accordance with the RUA.

Drain Disposal Guideline References:

1. "Prudent Practices for Disposal of Chemicals from Laboratories", National Academy Press, Washington D.C., 1983.

2. "Prudent Practices for Handling of Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories", National Academy Press, Washington D.C., 1981

For questions related to these Drain Disposal Guidelines, please contact:

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
Main Number 642-3073
or
Tim Pine, Environmental Specialist
643-8542
e-mail: tpine@berkeley.edu

Cations:	Anions:
aluminum Al³⁺ ammonium NH⁴⁺ calcium Ca²⁺ cesium Cs⁺ hydrogen H⁺ lithium Li⁺ magnesium Mg²⁺ potassium K⁺ sodium Na⁺ strontium Sr²⁺ tin Sn²⁺ titanium Ti³⁺, Ti⁴⁺ zirconium Zr²⁺	borate (BO₃^3-, B₄O₇^2-) bromide (Br^-) carbonate (CO₃^2-) chloride (Cl^-) bisulfite (HSO₃-) hydroxide (OH^-) oxide (O^2-) iodide (I^-) nitrate (NO₃-) phosphate (PO₄^3-) sulfate (SO₄^2-)

TABLE II - ORGANIC TOXIC POLLUTANTS IN EACH OF FOUR FRACTIONS IN ANALYSIS BY GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY/MASS SPECTROSCOPY (GS/MS)
Volatiles 1V acrolein 2V acrylonitrile 3V benzene 5V bromoform 6V carbon tetrachloride 7V chlorobenzene 8V chlorodibromomethane 9V chloroethane 10V 2-chloroethylvinyl ether 11V chloroform 12V dichlorobromomethane 14V 1,1-dichloroethane 15V 1,2-dichloroethane 16V 1,1-dichloroethylene 17V 1,2-dichloropropane 18V 1,3-dichloropropylene 19V ethylbenzene 20V methyl bromide 21V methyl chloride 22V methylene chloride 23V 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 24V tetrachloroethylene 25V toluene 26V 1,2-trans-dichloroethylene 27V 1,1,1-trichloroethane 28V 1,1,2-trichloroethane 29V trichloroethylene 31V vinyl chloride Acid Compounds 1A 2-chlorophenol 2A 2,4-dichlorophenol 3A 2,4-dimethylphenol 4A 4,6-dinitro-o-cresol 5A 2,4-dinitrophenol 6A 2-nitrophenol 7A 4-nitrophenol 8A p-chloro-m-cresol 9A pentachlorophenol 10A phenol 11A 2,4,6-trichlorophenol	Base/Neutral 1B acenaphthene 2B acenaphthylene 3B anthracene 4B benzidine 5B benzo(a)anthracene 6B benzo(a)pyrene 7B 3,4-benzofluoranthene 8B benzo(ghi)perylene 9B benzo(k)fluoranthene 10B bis(2-chloroethoxy)methane 11B bis(2-chloroethyl)ether 12B bis(2-chloroisopropyl)ether 13B bis(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate 14B 4-bromophenyl phenyl ether 15B butylbenzyl phthalate 16B 2-chloronaphthalene 17B 4-chlorophenyl phenyl ether 18B chrysene 19B dibenzo(a, h)anthracene 20B 1,2-dichlorobenzene 21B 1,3-dichlorobenzene 22B 1,4-dichlorobenzene 23B 3,3'-dichlorobenzidine 24B diethyl phthalate 25B dimethyl phthalate 26B di-n-butyl phthalate 27B 2,4-dinitrotoluene 28B 2,6-dinitrotoluene 29B di-n-octyl phthalate 30B 1,2-diphenylhydrazine (as azobenzene) 31B fluroranthene 32B fluorene 33B hexachlorobenzene 34B hexachlorobutadiene 35B hexachlorocyclopentadiene 36B hexachloroethane 37B indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene 38B isophorone 39B naphthalene 40B nitrobenzene 41B N-nitrosodimethylamine	42B N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine 43B N-nitrosodiphenylamine 44B phenanthrene 45B pyrene 46B 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene Pesticides 1P aldrin 2P alpha-BHC 3P beta-BHC 4P gamma-BHC 5P delta-BHC 6P chlordane 7P 4,4'-DDT 8P 4,4'-DDE 9P 4,4'-DDD 10P dieldrin 11P alpha-endosulfan 12P beta-endosulfan 13P endosulfan sulfate 14P endrin 15P endrin aldehyde 16P heptachlor 17P heptachlor epoxide 18P PCB-1242 19P PCB-1254 20P PCB-1221 21P PCB-1232 22P PCB-1248 23P PCB-1260 24P PCB-1016 25P toxaphene Other dioxins- 2,3,7,8 tetrachloro-dibenzo -p-dioxin (TCDD) and others asbestos

Guidelines for Drain Disposal of Chemicals at University of California, Berkeley
2007

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