Chemical Waste

Chemical Waste

Whenever you produce chemical waste, you must follow the rules of DTU for sorting chemical waste.

All hazardous chemical waste must be collected and sorted before it is sent for destruction at an approved treatment plant. It is typically the waste user-station that recieves hazardous chemical waste from DTU.

DTU is known to be aware of the environment, and responsible in that respect. As a user of chemicals, you must help DTU with this image.

Hazardous chemical waste must be collected, and sent for destruction.

A flowchart of hazardous chemical waste to be collected can be seen in the Quick Guide - sorting of chemical waste (see fact box) - for setting up the laboratories. 

Chemicals considered hazardous chemical waste, must be collected and disposed as chemical waste:

• Biological/ clinical risk material
• Radioactive substances
• Explosives and liquids with the content of peroxide > 3000 ppm – see fact box: Explosives and peroxides.
• Compounds / materials that develop toxic gasses, in contact with water, air or acid. (Labelled EUH029/EUH031/EUH032, or see Safety Data Sheet (SDS), section D in Kemibrug).
• Heavy metals, irrespectively of concentration (eg. lead, cadmium, mercury, zinc, nickel, chromium, copper).
• Compounds /materials which are categorized as A- & B- substances (ABC-substances, listed in instruction no. 2 annex 1) irrespectively of concentration. (The substances are also stated in Kemibrug, section F in the chemical safety datasheet).
• Compounds / materials / solutions labelled with a hazardous pictogram or H-/EUH-phrases. To calculate whether your dilute solution is labelled, you can find help in the fact box: Concentration limits for dangerous chemical waste.
• Liquids with pH 1-6,5 or pH 9-14

Once you have assessed whether you have a hazardous waste, it must be sorted in regards to your local chemical waste accountable instructions.

The sorting instruction (see fact box) is used, only when allowed by your local chemical waste accountable. It is most often used when handling mixed chemicals in the laboratories. The waste is divided into 9 groups (O, C, Z, T, X, A, B, C and H-waste). O-waste is further divided by your chemical waste accountable. You can also be inspired from Kemibrug (see Section F), on how to choose a waste group, however, most often your specific waste mixture is not mentioned in Kemibrug, and therefore it can be difficult to assess. You can get further help and advice for sorting, from your local chemical waste accountable, which is trained and responsible to help you with the assessment. Please, also notice the specific chemical waste policy at your Institute.

If your chemical waste contains residues of carcinogenic substances, listed on the Danish “AT cancer list” (see Kemibrug section F), be sure to put a yellow label on the waste with the words: "Contains a substance that is covered by the Danish health and safety regulation with respect to cancer risk" (official yellow label – in Danish only).

What may be poured into the sink?

• Liquid chemical waste, which is not covered by the collection requirements.
• Liquid waste, which is only labelled as flammable, (H226 on the label) in amounts < ½L.

What may be discarded via waste bin?

• Solid substances and materials which are, not covered by the collection requirements - up to approx. 500 gr.

(Large amounts: Contact your Chemical waste accountable. Large amounts may cause dust, by collection, and therefore, special arrangement with Campus Service, must be agreed upon.

Sewage at Lyngby Campus:

DTU has two systems to divert sewage at DTU in Lyngby. General wastewater from toilets and the like, from all buildings at DTU, runs into the municipal sewer system for cleansing in the municipal sewage cleansing plants. In parallel, an internal sewage system for the chemical sector has been organized.

Wastewater from the chemical sector

To protect the municipality's cleansing plant, a separate sewer system is built that covers buildings: 113, 115, 118, 204, 206, 207, 208, 221, 222, 223, 224, 227, 228, 229, 301, 309, 346, 375, 378 and 423. The system is made of acid / base resistant material and is established as an accident insurance if any acid and basic solutions are poured in the sink. The wastewater is led to chemical wells and thence to the neutralization and sedimentation plant in building 240. From there, the treated water is led to the municipal water cleansing plants in Lundtofte.

Lyngby-Tårbæk municipality regularly monitors that DTU meets the discharge permit conditions that are negotiated, with strict requirements in regards to e.g. heavy metals.