What happens to the U of A's hazardous waste?
By Kendall Sternberg, University Marketing and Communications
Waste containers collected from university laboratories are organized at the EHS waste facility before the materials are processed for disposal. Depending on the material, waste may be packaged into drums or prepared for incineration.
Chris Richards/University Marketing and Communications
Employees at the U of A wear many hats. Some teach students. Some conduct groundbreaking research. Others spend their time collecting hazardous chemicals, packaging radioactive waste and safely managing dangerous materials so the rest of campus can go about its day.
Every year, Environmental Health and Safety processes thousands of containers of hazardous waste, from chemical and biological materials used in research laboratories to radioactive isotopes that help advance scientific discovery.
Disposing of dangerous chemicals
A full-size gas cylinder removed from a university laboratory is prepared for shipment as hazardous waste.
Chris Richards/University Marketing and Communications
For Environmental Programs Manager Joseph Divijak and Assistant Environmental Programs Officer Jesus Figueroa, no two days are alike as they collect and manage an ever-changing mix of chemical and biological waste from across campus.
Once a laboratory submits a pickup request, the team reviews the materials, plans collection routes and transports the waste to EHS facilities for safe storage before it is shipped to licensed disposal vendors. Most of the university's chemical and biological waste is shipped to Texas and incinerated.
While employees may picture barrels of ominous, unidentified chemicals, Divijak said the work is built on planning, chemistry and attention to detail.
"Everything has to be separated," he said. "A lot of materials aren't compatible, and if you mix the wrong compounds together, you can create a dangerous reaction."
The chemicals that can be mixed are combined in barrels, while those that can't are securely sealed in a lab pack, where they are separated by compatibility to prevent hazardous reactions during storage and transportation.
Fridays are especially busy.
"Every Friday we're in the chemistry buildings because they're some of our busiest locations," Figueroa said. "We make sure everything is packaged and documented correctly."
Click on the gallery to see what hazardous waste management looks like in action at the U of A.
Expecting the unexpected
The job also requires continual learning. With millions of chemical compounds in existence, the team regularly researches unfamiliar materials to determine the safest handling procedures.
Even after years on the job, Divijak said there's always something new to learn.
"You learn the common chemicals, but every now and then you come across something you've never seen before. That's when you slow down, do the research and make sure you're handling it correctly."
Taking that precaution helps prevent major accidents when handling these chemicals. And when incidents do happen, they are usually minor.
Figueroa recalled an incident in which an experienced employee accidentally mixed hydrogen peroxide with an oxidizer, and a foaming reaction was almost instantaneous.
“It was like a forbidden bubble bath,” Figueroa laughed.
Dealing with radioactive waste
EHS staff place potentially contaminated laboratory bottles in sealed bags and document them as part of the lab-packing process. Each item is assigned a unique number so it can be tracked through the disposal process.
Chris Richards/University Marketing and Communications
Just down the hall from Divijak and Figueroa, Assistant Radiation Safety Officer Jeffrey Sandstrom oversees another specialized part of EHS: radioactive waste management.
Unlike chemical waste, radioactive materials are tracked throughout their entire life cycle.
"We do a cradle-to-grave process," Sandstrom said. "When a researcher orders a radioactive material, it comes to us first. We log it, track it and continue tracking it until it's ultimately disposed of properly, but some people might be surprised to know that material doesn't actually ever 'go away.'"
Radioactive materials lose their radioactivity over time, but they don't simply disappear after an experiment is finished. That's why EHS tracks the material throughout its life cycle and determines when and how it can be safely disposed of.
Many of the radioactive materials used at the U of A support biomedical and biochemical research, where scientists use tiny amounts of radioactive isotopes to follow chemical processes inside cells and better understand disease and human health.
In addition to collecting radioactive waste, Sandstrom's team regularly surveys laboratories, reviews safety records and ensures researchers comply with regulatory requirements.
Finding the right balance between enabling research and maintaining safety is at the heart of the job.
"We don't want to be an obstruction," Sandstrom said. "We have to enforce the regulations, but we also work with researchers to help them accomplish what they need to do safely."
The teams in Environmental Health and Safety play a critical role supporting the university's strategic imperative of Research that Shapes the Future. By safely managing hazardous waste every day, they help create an environment where innovation can thrive while protecting the campus community.