Australia's Science Forum

I have a large beaker of Potassium thiocyanate solution and a large beaker of cobalt chloride solution to dispose of. CSIS says to tip them down the sink, but ChemWatch says they are extremely dangerous to aquatic organisms and should NOT be put into the drains or sewer system. How do people get rid of these?

Cheers
Ian

I'd pour them into my heavy waste disposal bottle .
recently it was getting full so I evaporated most of the water out of it and its nearly empty again . Not paying for disposal of water

OK just looked up CSIS on line to compare it to CSIS printed version .

What I initially thought were changes to disposals in the online CSIS would appear to be "Formatting errors "
Note how the numbers are the same from Chlorinated hydrocarbons ....just its one line out .
OMG how are we meant to follow this Shimozzle and have any chance of complying with regulations .

Printed copy of CSIS CSIS online

We just collect and hold for disposal here, Ian. Yep, don't follow what we have as an excuse for CSIS - the same package that allows the kiddies to play with lead nitrate (0.1M).
Some things I evaporate off, just by leaving in the fume cupboard. My predecessor would heat them up to evaporate. I don't have enough knowledge of chemicals to know when this is or isn't a bad idea! Most of the time I just tip it into the waste bottle. I do have a separate bottle for potassium and another for cobalt.

Does anyone know if cobalt chloride can safely be heated to reduce the volume for waste?

If possible, get the teachers to stop using Cobalt.... possible carcinogen. i ams ure they can find other chemicals to use. I basically just discarded all from the school and then said, Oh sorry we don't stock that anymore.

Don't you need cobalt chloride to be able to make up cobalt chloride paper to detect changes in humidity?

IF YOU ARE A DoE SCHOOL, YOU WILL HAVE A PIT OR SUB, that is why the CSIS say's to put it down the sink. It doe not go to the main waste.

Lyn wrote: ↑07 Apr 2022, 15:50 Don't you need cobalt chloride to be able to make up cobalt chloride paper to detect changes in humidity?

Hi Lyn
Not done in NSW anymore - well, not where I've worked. I haven't had to provide cobalt chloride paper in over ten years. Who knows? Next curriculum change, we'll all be doing it again! You can buy the paper already made - my lazier choice!

Yes, I thought about being able to buy the ready made paper but having had experience of humidity compromising different testing papers and having the odd teacher suddenly pop up with a bright idea they have come across in the obscurity of the internet and needing the lab tech to basically pull the proverbial rabbit out of the hat (it's needed now - if you know what I mean) well having a certain chemical on hand is always useful. Besides it is one of the chemicals that has been allowed to stay on the shelf in our current chemical clean out. However the cobalt sulfate was a definite get rid of. Go figure.

Yes, Lyn, I can imagine that the humidity of Darwin is somewhat different to that of Tahmoor (SW Sydney). Although this year has been a lot stickier than past years for us.