Pollution prevention in laboratory operations
- Environmental Assets, Inc., West Chester, PA (United States)
The scale of chemical usage has the most significant impact on pollution prevention efforts in the laboratory. The average chemical laboratory facility, particularly one involved in the academic or industrial research area, uses thousands of chemicals. Instead of a few chemicals in significant quantities, laboratories use many chemicals in small quantities. This results in both unique problems and unique solutions for those involved in any aspect of pollution prevention. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines a laboratory as a workplace where relatively small quantities of hazardous chemicals are used on a non-production basis. This includes facilities for teaching, quality control, environmental testing, chemical and medical research and development, and clinical testing. As in other facilities that use chemicals, pollution prevention in the laboratory means source reduction, waste minimization, recycling, and reclamation. Nonetheless, how these procedures are implemented varies significantly from other chemical activities.
- OSTI ID:
- 99368
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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