Hazardous Chemical

Hazardous Chemical waste includes both the chemical byproducts of large manufacturing facilities and laboratories, as well as the smaller-scale solvents and other chemicals disposed of by households. Chemical waste may fall under the classification of hazardous waste depending on the nature of the chemicals – for example, chemicals such as ethanol and glycerol don't require special disposal procedures. Health and safety legislation varies internationally, and dictates the manner in which chemical waste must be handled and disposed of. In the United States, chemical waste is regulated by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act as well as the Clean Water Act; while the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) regulates chemical waste in the UK.

If hazardous chemical waste is not handled or disposed of properly, both the environment and nearby individuals are put at risk by its potentially corrosive, toxic, flammable or explosive nature. Proper handling of chemical waste first requires the separation of hazardous chemicals that may react with one another, such as salts from acids, hypochlorites and hydroxides from ammonia, and oxidizing substances from combustible substances. After chemical waste is properly separated, it should be safely stored in tightly-sealed drums, bottles, tins or jars that will not be corroded or otherwise affected by the chemical waste contents.

Special disposal services are usually contracted by the manufacturing facilities that produce chemical waste to have it removed in a manner that complies with health and safety regulations. Hazardous Chemical waste is then transported to a chemical waste disposal facility, where it is eliminated according to its compound substance or substances. Most chemical waste, including chlorinated solvents, are incinerated at a high temperature, while other chemical wastes are treated by wet chemical methods. After chemical waste has been incinerated or treated by wet chemistry, the residues are then safe to dispose of in a landfill.