Disposing of unknown chemicals – Pioneering new techniques

Disposing of unknown chemicals can pose a significant health and safety risk. If you are unaware of the hazards of your waste chemicals, you cannot consign them under ADR. Some exceptions exist but require prior Environment Agency approval. If a vehicle carrying unidentified waste is stopped or has an accident, the producer of the waste who approved the removal will be in violation of the law.

Unknowns can also pose a risk to your employees. For example, you or your employees may not know if there are any specific handling requirements to maintain safety. In the worst case, this can lead to spills and leaks which can cause injury, fires or explosions.

We know that companies who produce hazardous waste are bound to end up with containers without proper labels because of accidental oversight or illegible markings. Whilst some liquid unknowns can be dip-tested to identify hazards, solids have until now presented a troublesome problem.

This is why CSG is pleased to announce our acquisition of a device able to identify unknown chemicals in the field. CSG will now be utilising a handheld Raman analyser that enables true through-barrier identification of hazardous materials at customers’ sites.

This non-destructive technique avoids the need to open containers to identify the contents (some exceptions still exist). This device will provide the UK with a much-needed waste management service to rapidly identify unknown liquids and solids through sealed, clear and coloured glass & plastic opaque containers. In turn, it will reduce the health and safety risk to both our customers and employees.

What is a Raman?spectrometer?

Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive technique that provides detailed information about chemicals. This includes chemical structure, phase and polymorphy, crystallinity and molecular interactions of a material.

Raman spectroscopy is a light scattering technique where a molecule scatters light from a high-intensity laser light source. Most of the scattered light has a wavelength the same as the laser and contains no useful information. However, around 0.0000001% will have a different wavelength (or colour) which depends on the chemical structure of the molecule.

The output will feature a number of peaks showing the intensity and wavelength position of the Raman scattered light. Each peak will correspond to a specific molecular bond vibration or groups of bonds (such as in benzene ring breathing mode).

This means that the Raman spectrum gives a distinct chemical fingerprint. We can then use the analysed Raman scatter to estimate the chemical present by comparing it to a library of known chemicals. We receive the match as a percentage and aim for a 90 to 95% match when identifying unknown chemicals.

Want to know more about the Raman Spectroscopy process? Well, here’s an informative video from Mettler Toledo for you to watch below:

Due to the way the spectroscope works, we are unable to identify any chemical that are in a metal or some fully opaque containers. In most cases, only plastic and glass containers can be analysed.

If the container is unsuitable for external analysis, the contents can only be analysed if they can be safely accessed. We can then continue our investigation into what the unknown is. If we are unable to identify the waste, then unfortunately we can’t remove it from your site. This is because we will not be able to consign the unknown chemical for transport.

Benefits of our new?service

CSG is the first waste management company in the UK to start using this device in the field. This brings a new and valuable service to our waste disposal portfolio. In a single run, our device is able to read the container and offset the laser to get the best possible analysis of the chemical inside. By preventing the need to change sensors, we are more efficient at analysing large quantities of unknowns whilst also improving the accuracy of the results.

The device has proven its reliability through successful use in various industries. These include hazmat response, law enforcement, and parcel screening at border control. As such, it allows us to assist with problematic waste streams such as explosives and narcotics. Although CSG may not be able to remove these from your site, we do have an extensive list of specialised sub contractors that we will arrange to collect the waste after our visit.

Our team put the device to the test during a chemical waste clear-out job at a local university campus. They had 244 small containers of unknown chemicals that they couldn’t identify. We completed the job in only three days, correctly identifying the unknown substances for disposal with 95% accuracy.

The service will come as an add-on to arranging a waste collection. For lab waste, we aim to remove identified chemicals on the same day as the analysis. Larger containers, substantial amounts of chemicals and certain hazardous waste may need extra removal time. This depends on the specific circumstances of your waste. For more information on disposing of unknown chemicals, just contact CSG today.

How to Prevent Unknown?Chemicals

While we now provide a solution to identify unknown lab chemicals, this service costs extra compared to when the chemical composition is already known. For this reason and due to safety considerations, we highly recommend you try to prevent having any unknown chemicals on your site. You can do this by following our best practices for storing hazardous wastes:

1. Label all chemical containers (including beakers & test tubes).

2. Replace damaged labels or labels that are beginning to fall off immediately.

3. Label containers with the chemical name, structure or formula – not just abbreviations.

4. Arrange frequent lab chemical collections to prevent the build-up of chemicals for disposal. This build-up increases the likelihood of unknowns arising.

5. Archive research samples (often stored in small vials in boxes) should be labelled on the outside of the box with the chemical constituents.

Contact CSG for?pricing

Do you have unknown chemicals on your site that you need to dispose of? The CSG team will be happy to help you! You can make an enquiry online here or call 0800 011 6600 today. Disposing of unknown chemicals has never been so easy.

To find out more information on our other lab small collection service, please click here.