Australia's Science Forum

I know there are lots of posts about wastes, but I couldn't find anything specific to my problem.

In the past, I and the previous labbie disposed of chemical waste from the ester prac by evaporating on an absorbent material. I've now been asked to store this waste in an organics waste bottle. I admit I had been a bit slow in the clean up from last week and left the said bottle in the fume cupboard, without the fan going. This morning when I came into the prep room, it smelt like someone had been in the flammables cupboard and left the door open.

After investigating, I found the odour coming from the fume cupboard. I switched the fan on and checked the lid was on the bottle correctly. When I opened the bottle, there was a rush of gas coming out. Is this normal? Should it be stored in a particular type of bottle? I'm concerned that doing the "right" thing for the environment is not the "right" thing for a safe workplace.

Good question. Unfortunately I don't know the answer. Why did they want you to put it in an organic waste bottle??
I have always absorbed it too!! The odour goes once it evaporates.

Hi Merilyn, Hydrocarbons,alcohol,ketones,esters and heterocyclics are classified as #23 in the disposal of wastes in CSIS. Evaporation is fine but should only be for small liquid quantities < 50ml, larger quantities need to be absorbed onto vermiculite or cat litter and scooped up for collection. Organic liquids (waste bottle recommendations on page 7 in the CSIS disposal of waste chemicals )suggests that "if the waste bottles start to produce hydrogen sulfide gas(rotten egg gas),add sufficient solid sodium hydroxide to make the solution basic pH7, leave in the fume cupboard with the lids off until the production of gas ceases" Hope this helps.
shaz