How To: Dispose of Liquid Wastes from Chemistry Labs

Find out how everything in a chemistry lab works, from pipettes to burners to recrystallization to storage. You'll get precise instructions on how to work and perform certain scientific duties in the chem lab, whether it's chemical or just ordinary high school science.

Watch this video on how to dispose of liquid wastes from chemistry labs. Laboratory liquid wastes are classified into organic and inorganic wastes. Pour liquid wastes into the designated liquid waste container according to textbooks and instructors. Rinse the glassware with the minimum amount of water, and pour into the liquid waste container.

How to Treat Liquid Wastes in Laboratories:

1. Do not discard liquid wastes into drains, but pour into the liquid waste container.
2. Rinse glassware used for experiments with the minimum amount of water, and pour the rinsing water into the liquid waste container.
3. Wash the glassware with tap water, and then rinse with distilled water.

Neutralization of Acidic and Alkaline Wastes:

• Do not pour concentrated acidic or alkaline solutions directly into drains. Neutralize the solutions before disposal.
• Sodium hydrogen carbonate is often used for neutralization because even an excess addition does not make the solution too alkaline. Add it into an acidic solution with stirring until bubbling is ceased.
• Pour the neutralized liquid waste into a drain if it contains no harmful substance.