GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR

                     DRAIN DISPOSAL

What Send down the drain only those materials found on the safe list.  Compounds not listed are not suitable for drain disposal.

Where Drain disposal must only be used when the drain flows to a sanitary sewer system * which eventually goes to the waste water treatment plant.  Storm drain systems flow directly into surface water. (Fall or Cascadilla Creeks, for example) and should NEVER be used for chemical disposal.  Floor

drains may flow to storm sewers and should never be used for disposal.  Laboratory sinks should be used for disposal of chemicals on the safe list as discussed below.

How Much   Quantities of chemical waste for drain disposal should be limited generally to a few hundred grams or milliliters or less per day.  Larger amounts should have prior approval from Life Safety Services.  Only materials listed as safe for drain disposal in this document are approved for drain disposal in quantities up to 100 g or 100 ml per discharge.  Disposal should be followed by flushing with at least 100-fold excess of   water at the sink. (That means that for 100 ml 

of chemical, run the water for about two minutes at maximum flow.)

Safety   Understand the hazards and toxicity of the materials you work with by consulting material safety data sheets (available in the BTI library in   green file folders underneath the checkout desk).  Work slowly to avoid splashes and wear the proper protective equipment (lab coat, goggles, face shield, gloves) during drain   disposal.

* Sanitary sewer is the system of sinks, toilets, drains and associated pipes that send waste water to a treatment plant where it is biologically and chemically treated before discharge into the environment..

               Safe List for Drain Disposal

                            Inorganics

Dilute solutions of inorganic salts where both cation and anion are listed below are suitable for drain disposal.  Materials listed are considered to be relatively low in toxicity.  Compounds of any of these ions that are strongly acidic or basic should be neutralized before drain disposal.

Cations      Anions      Organic Acid Anions

Al³⁺                B0₃3-        acetate

B₄0₇2-

Ca²⁺          Br^-            formate

Fe²⁺³⁺         C0₃2-        propionate

H⁺             Cl^-

K⁺                   HS0_3-      Buffers (except

Li⁺              0CN^-       cacodylate or

Mg²⁺         0H^-           arsenic buffers)

Na⁺                 I^-                      pH3

NH₄₊              N0^3-                pH4

Sn²⁺                P0₄3-         pH7

Sr²⁺           S0₄2          pH10

Ti³⁺⁴⁺             SCN^-             Tris buffer

Zr²⁺

Mineral acids and bases should be neutralized to pH5.5 to 9 range before disposal, following approved procedures.

Copper and Zinc have specific discharge limits required by the Sewage Treatment Plant.  Contact the Office of Environmental Health at 255-4862 or the Office of Life Safety Services at 255-8200 prior to discharging any copper or zinc.

                             Organics

Materials listed below in quantities up to about 100 g or 100 ml at a time are suitable for disposal down the drain   while flushing with   excess water.  These materials are soluble to at least 3 percent, present low toxicity hazards and are readily   biodegradable.

                              Alcohols

Alkanois with 4 or fewer carbon atoms

methanol

ethanol

ethanol

propanol and isomers

butanol and isomers

Alkanediols with 7 or fewer carbon atoms

ethylene glycol

propylene glycol

butylene glycol

butanediol and its isomers

pentylene glycol

pentanediol and its isomers

hexylene glycol

hexanediol and its isomers

heptamethylene glycol

heptanediol and its isomers

Alkoxyalkanols with 6 or fewer carbon atoms

methoxyethanol

ethoxyethanol

butoxyethanol

2-methoxyethoxyethanol

-C₄H₉OCH₂CH₂0CH₂CH₂OH(2(2bu-

toxyethoxy)ethanol

                            Aldehydes

Aliphatic aldehydes with 4 or fewer carbon atoms

acetaldehyde

propanal (propionaldehyde)

butanal (butyraldehyde)

isobutyraldehyde

                               Amides

RCONH₂ and RCONHR with 4 or fewer carbon atoms

RCONR₂ with 10 or fewer carbon atoms

formamide

-methyl formamide

N,N-diethyl formamide

N,N-dimethyl formamide

-ethyl formamide

acetamide

-methyl acetamide

N,N-dimethyl acetamide

-ethyl acetamide

propionamide

-methyl propionamide

N,N-dimethyl propionamide

butyramide

isobutyramide

                              Amines^a

Aliphatic amines with 6 or fewer carbon atoms

methylamine

ethylamine

trimethylamine

-ethyl methylamine

N-methyl propylamine

dimethyl propylamine

isopropylamine

1-ethyl butylamine

butylamine

methyl butylamine

-ethyl butylamine

isobutylamine

amylamine

hexylamine

^aThose with a disagreeable odor, such as dimethylamine and 1,4 butanediamine should be neutralized, and the resulting salt solutions flushed down the drain, diluted with at least 100 volumes of water.  Disposal limit is 100 ml of material.

Aliphatic diamines with 6 or fewer carbon atoms

1,2-or 1,3-propanediamine (1,2- or 1,3-diaminopropane)

                       Carboxylic Acids

Alkanoic acids with 5 or fewer carbon atoms^b

formic acid

acetic acid

propionic acid

butyric acid

isobutyric acid

valeric acid

isovaleric acid

Alkanedioic acids with 5 or fewer carbon atoms

oxalic acid (1,2-ethanedioic acid)

malonic acid (1,3-propanedioic acid)

succinic acid (1,4-butanedioic acid)

glutaric acid (1,5-pentanedioic acid)

Hydroxyalkanoic acids with 5 or fewer carbon atoms

lactic acid (2-hydroxypropanoic acid)

3-hydroxybutyric acid

2-hydrocy isobutyric acid

Aminoalkanoic acids with 6 or fewer carbon atoms and the ammonium, sodium and potassium salts of these acids.

Amino acids and the ammonium, sodium and potassium salts of these acids.

^bThose with a disagreeable odor, such as butyric acids and valeric acids should be neutralized and the resulting salt solutions flushed down the drain, diluted with at least 100 volumes of water.  Disposal limit is 100 ml of material.

                                Esters

Esters with 4 or fewer carbon atoms

methyl formate

ethyl formate

isopropyl formate

propyl formate

methyl acetate

ethyl acetate

methyl propionate

isopropyl acetate

                              Ketones

Ketones with 4 or fewer carbon atoms

acetone

methyl ethyl ketone (butanone)

methyl isopropyl ketone (3-methyl butanone)

Sulfonic Acids and the Ammonium, Sodium, and Potassium Salts of theses acids

methane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

ethane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1-propane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1-butane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1-pentane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1-hexane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1- heptane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1- octane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1-decane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1-dodecane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1-tetradecane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

1-hexadecane sulfonic acid, sodium or potassium salt

Chemicals that are not appropriate for drain disposal are collected by local safety office coordinator, or in   some cases may be disposed at the dumpster.  Procedures for disposal are detailed in local chemical hygiene plans.

Not safe for drain disposal.

The following materials are prohibited from drain disposal by the City of Ithaca:

Ashes, cinders, sand, mud, straw, shavings, metal, glass, rags, feather, tar, plastics, wood, manure, hair and fleshings, entrails, paint residues, solid or viscous substances capable of causing obstruction to the flow of sewers.

Some chemicals that are not appropriate for drain disposal include:

Ether (both ethyl and methyl ethers)

Halogenated hydrocarbons

Nitro compounds

Mercaptans

Flammables (immiscible in   water)

Explosives such as azides and peroxides

Water soluble polymers that could form gels in the sewer system

Water reactive materials

Malodorous chemicals

Toxic chemicals such as carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens

Chloroform

Substances that boil below 50^o C.

Mixtures that have a component not found on the safe list.

Any material not found on the safe list.

Check   with the Office of Environmental Health at 255-4862 or the Office of Life Safety Services 255-8200 if you are not certain about drain disposal for a particular   material.  We may also be able to provide you with instructions for   laboratory   destruction for some materials.