Explosive and Reactive Materials Disposal
General Information
The disposal of explosive and reactive waste materials needs to be handled more carefully than even other hazardous waste. The identity and concentration of waste constituents are more critical than for other types of hazardous waste.
Also, keeping reactive and explosive wastes separate from other materials is often critical.
Please label all potentially explosive and energetic or reactive materials carefully so that people handling your waste will know to take proper precautions.
Disposal
The usual disposal rules apply to reactive and explosive waste chemicals, with these additional precautions:
- Please label completely and carefully
- Keep waste away from incompatible materials
- Do not keep reactive or explosive waste longer than necessary
- Contact staff in Environmental Affairs as soon as possible to request a waste pickup
We may need additional time to set up disposal for exposive or highly reactive materials, so contacting us early will allow us enough time to make those arrangements.
Additional Resources
For information on other issues related to explosive or highly reactive materials, please refer to the following:
- Texas A & M Highly Reactive Materials webpage (this is the most germane to our laboratory operations)
- The International Society of Explosives Engineers
- Bretherick, L. Bretherick's Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards, 7th ed., October 23, 2006
For additional information, please contact staff in Environmental Affairs.
October 2, 2007 by SAK