Introduction
Environmental Health & Radiation Safety (EHRS) offers pickup services for all chemical waste generated at Temple University. A Hazardous/Chemical Waste Removal Request Form must be completed and submitted by the generator of the waste to initiate pickup services. EHRS will arrange for the pickup of your waste once the completed form has been processed.
Pickup Procedures
- All waste must be placed in a designated area within the room where the waste was generated.
- All waste must be placed in an appropriate container and stored in appropriate secondary containment.
- All waste containers must be capped and properly labeled.
- Ensure the outside of the container is clean and free of residue.
- Complete and submit a Hazardous/Chemical Waste Removal Request Form. Completed form(s) can be submitted to EHRS via Fax (2-1600) or electronically to [click-for-email].
Refer to Unknown Chemical Waste Disposal Guide for information on how to properly dispose of unidentified or unknown chemicals.
Contact EHRS at 2-2520 if you have any questions regarding pickup procedures or refer to the Waste Management section of the EHRS webpage for additional information.
Please make sure that your request form is accurate and complete and your waste is properly prepared prior to pickup so that unnecessary delays can be avoided.
Hazardous/Chemical Waste Removal Request Hints
Chemical Description
- Spell out all chemical names. Do not use chemical formulae, abbreviations, acronyms or structures.
- The description on the container label must match the description on the pickup request exactly.
- All mixtures must be submitted in a percentage format adding up to 100%. The percentage of each chemical should be accurate but can be rounded up to the nearest whole number. For example, 0.01% Chloroform can be listed on a pickup request form as “Trace Chloroform”, or “<1% Chloroform”.
- For mixtures of numerous constituents, only the most abundant 5-10 items need to be listed unless the mixture contains one of the compounds listed below. These constituents must be included even in trace amounts.
| Arsenic | Methoxychlor | m-Cresol | Hexachloroethane |
| Barium | Toxaphene | p-Cresol | Methyl Ethyl Ketone |
| Cadmium | 2,4-D | Cresol | Nitrobenzene |
| Chromium | 2,4,5-TP (Silvex) | 1,4-Dichlorobenzene | Pentachlorophenol |
| Lead | Benzene | 1,2-Dichlorobenzene | Pyridine |
| Mercury | Carbon Tetrachloride | 1,1-Dichloroethylene | Tectrachloroethylene |
| Selenium | Chlordane | 2,4-Dinitotoluene | Trichloroethylene |
| Silver | Chlorobenzene | Heptachlor | 2,4,5-Trichlophenol |
| Endrin | Chloroform | Hexachlorobenzene | 2,4,6-Trichlorophenol |
| Lindane | 0-Cresol | Hexachlorobutadiene | Vinyl Chloride |
- When submitting trade products, read the description of the chemical components on the label, or request a Safety Data Sheets (SDS) from the manufacturer. This information will provide you with the proper chemical description for the product. You are responsible for providing EHRS with a chemical description or a SDS of the product.
Amount of Waste in Container
Estimate as accurately as possible ( i.e. +/- 10%). Use mass units for solids and volume units for liquids.
Physical State of the Material
Solid, liquid and gas are the only designations that should be used. In general, keep solid and liquid waste separate. If you have a mixture containing both solids and liquids, the rule of thumb is that if any portion of the waste flows as a liquid, call it liquid.
Related Information
Phone: 2-2520 or 215-707-2520 (off campus)