It’s important to create a waste management plan. Hazardous trash is heavily regulated. It cannot simply be thrown out in with the rest of your garbage.
In order to know whether you are handling hazardous waste, it is necessary to first assess its characteristics.
Watch out for the following four characteristics to help in identifying wastes: Find out more!
Ignitability-something flammable
Corrosivity-something that can rust or decompose
Reactivity something explosive
Toxicity – something poisonous
Ignitability
There are 3 types of ignitable materials:
These liquids are those with a minimum flash point of 60 degrees Celsius. Example liquids include acetone and gasoline.
Solids combustible spontaneously
Oxidizers (and compressed gasses)
Corrosion
Corrosive substances like hydrochloric or nitric and sulfuric acids may leak from containers. The pH value of a substance can be used to identify if that substance is corrosive. Corrosives can be found in everyday products such as battery acid or rust removers.
Reactivity
In addition to being unstable, wastes that are reactive can also be extremely dangerous. Reactive materials can be classified by many conditions. These are the commonest:
Materials that are unstable and frequently undergo violent change, without detonating
The material has the ability to create explosive or violent reactions when it is combined with other materials.
The mixture of water and materials that produce gasses toxic to the environment.
Toxicity
We are constantly exposed to poisonous chemicals that can harm our health or the environment. Acute toxicity occurs when an organism is exposed to a toxic substance for a very short time. There are many types of substances that can be toxic. These include: fertilizer and raw sewage. Heavy metals. Carbon monoxide. Sulphur dioxide. Nitrogen dioxide. Asbestos. Ground-level ozone. Lead (from mining or industrial processes).