OK, the lab pack team left the ethyl ether behind because of its potential
explosiveness, and you're considering disposal in the regular trash?
Seriously?

Not a liability I'd recommend that you risk. I would suggest that you need
to find a firm that will accept the waste, profile it, and dispose of it
appropriately.

______________________________
Anthony M. Noce, CHMM
Supervising Chemist
MWH Americas, Inc.
10 Airline Drive, Suite 200
Albany, New York 12205

Direct Dial (518) 640-6009
Office Phone (518) 640-6010
Fax (518) 640-6006
Cell (518) 369-6403
e-Mail Anthony.M.Noce**At_Symbol_Here**mwhglobal.com



Kent Candee 
Sent by: DCHAS-L Discussion List 
04/29/2005 01:38 PM
Please respond to Kent Candee

        To:     DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
        cc:
        Subject:        [DCHAS-L] Peroxides within empty containers.

Scenario:  Ethyl ether in metal container that is over 10 years old.
Peroxide content unknown.  Container is empty (<3%) to the best of our
knowledge.  Cap is clear plastic with no visible signs of peroxides.
 Understand that peroxides can concentrate as the ether evaporates.

Setting:  High school chemical storage room.  Lab pack team has been in
to pack chemicals and left the ethyl ether behind because of its
potential explosiveness.

Questions:  How dangerous is this empty can?  Does it have to be treated
as a hazardous waste?  Our understanding is that the peroxide crystals
themselves do not have considerable detonation force without the
contents of the ether.  The ether acts as the fuel for the explosion.
Can the empty container go in the normal trash.

Your thoughts and comments are appreciated.  We have been struggling
with this issue; how to deal with legacy empty ether containers.

--
Kent A. Candee, CIH
Environmental Health Division
EMC Insurance Companies
Ph: 515-362-7832
Cell: 515-321-5874

You can count on EMC's Environmental Health Division.

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