undp gef project interim hg storage philippines oct 2010
TRANSCRIPT
8/8/2019 UNDP GEF Project Interim Hg Storage Philippines Oct 2010
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Suggested Guidelines for the Interim
Storage of Mercury from HealthcareFacilities
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Outline
Key Properties of Mercury Related to Storage
Elements of Proposed Interim Storage Guidelines
Siting
Design Signage
Containers for different types of mercury waste
Practices
Example for a large hospital
Elements of Proposed Transportation Guidelines
Interim Central Storage Facility
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Key Properties of Mercury
Density
13.5 g per cm3 at 250C
Volume corresponding to 23.5 kg: 1.7 liters Hg
Surface tension 485.5 dynes/cm in air formation of droplets
Mobility
Formation of alloys Tin, copper, gold, silver
Materials resistant to Hg at room temperature
Iron, steel, plastics, rubbers, glass, ceramics
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Mercury droplets ona carpet
Mercury vapors from the carpet seenunder ultraviolet light and
a fluorescent screen
Bowling Green State University: http://wbgustream.bgsu.edu/bgsu/epa/index-fl.html
Note: Mercury vaporization rate doubles every 10°C rise in temperature.
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Key Properties of Mercury
Volatility
• Most volatile metal
• Formation of an odorless colorless gas
Bowling Green State University: http://wbgustream.bgsu.edu/bgsu/epa/index-fl.html
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Key Properties of Mercury
Toxicity
• Acute exposure: tremors, slowed motor nerve
functions, memory loss• Acute inhalation: chest pains, acute renal
failure, shortness of breath
• Acute ingestion: nausea, vomiting, abdominalpains
• Chronic exposure: tremors, erethism
(abnormal irritability), gingivitis, kidney damage
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Key Properties of Mercury
Toxicity• Occupational exposure limit:
0.02 mg of Hg vapor per m3 in air• Air saturated with mercury at 25°C is
1000 times higher than the
exposure limit
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Siting
Secure restricted area (to prevent theft) Readily accessible to mercury waste handlers
Separate from regular or infectious wastestorage areas
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Design
Enclosed area (roof and walls) Locked door
Proper size (based on amount of waste to be stored plusspace for materials movement)
Ventilation Exhaust vent leads to the outside
Exhaust air is released away frompeople and crowded areas
Exhaust vent is not near any air intake vents Ventilation control that can block air circulation back
into the facility
Exhaust fan capable of (600/Q) air changes per hourwhere Q is the room volume in cubic meters
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Design
Seamless smooth flooring made of impervious material,for example:
Epoxy-coated cement
Polyurethane coated floor
Seamless rubber
Polyester flooring
Bunding or spill containment tray on the floor below thewaste containers
Volume of the spill tray or inside the bund wall should
be at least 125% of the stored mercury volume Storage areas should be kept cool and dry: < 25°C and
< 40% humidity
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Design
Spill kit, PPE and wash area should be near (but not in)the storage area
Personal protective equipment (PPE):
Several pairs of rubber or nitrile gloves
Respiratory protection (see next slide) Safety goggles or protective eyewear
Coveralls, apron, and other protective clothing
Disposable shoe covers
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Design
Personal protective equipment (PPE): Respiratory protection:
Fit-tested full- or half-facepiece air-purifying respiratorwith mercury vapor cartridges, or
Face mask with sulfur or iodide impregnated activatedcarbon, or face mask made of sandwiched activatedcharcoal-impregnated cloth (Note that face masks thatdo not seal tightly around the face could allowcontaminated air to enter through the edges), or
Other specialty mask or respirator designed particularlyfor mercury, or
If no specialty masks are available : a face mask with a0.3 micron HEPA filter to capture amalgam particlesand mercury-laden dust (unfortunately, regular masks
will NOT protect against mercury vapor)
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Design
Spill kit contents: Step-by-step instructions
Containers:
Air-tight, sealable plastic bags (small and large sizes,
thickness: 2 to 6 mils, or 50 to 150 microns)
Small, air-tight, rigid plastic container with somewater or vapor suppression agent
Air-tight, puncture-resistant, rigid plastic or steel jar
or container with a wide opening
Plastic tray
Regular plastic waste bags (thickness:2 to 6 mils, or 50 to 150 microns)
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Design
Spill kit contents: Tools for removing mercury
Flashlight
Plastic-coated playing cards or thin pieces of plastic
Small plastic scoop or plastic dust pan
Tweezers
Eyedropper or syringe (without the needle)
Duct tape or sticky tape “Danger: Mercury Waste” labels to put on waste
containers
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Design
Spill kit contents: Vapor suppression agents:
Sulfur powder (available from pharmacies)
Zinc or copper flakes (available from hardware stores)
Commercial absorbent pads or vapor suppressants Brush to remove powder or flakes
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Design
Spill kit contents:
Materials for decontamination
Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and cotton swabs forfinal cleaning when using sulfur powder
Decontaminant solution or commercialdecontaminant
Piece of soap and paper towels
Decontamination solutions can be made of sodiumthiosulfate solution (photographic fixer);or a mixture of sodium thiosulfate and EDTA.
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SIGNAGE AND LABELING
Entry and exit doors marked with warning signs: “Danger:Hazardous Mercury Waste” and the skull-and-crossbonessymbol
Containers labelled “Hazardous Mercury Waste” plus a
description of the contents and the initial date of storage
Danger:
Hazardous Mercury Waste
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CONTAINERS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF
MERCURY WASTE General approach
Primary container that prevents breakage
Secondary container that prevents release ofmercury if the contents break
Label on the primary container andlabel on the secondary container
if it is not transparent Spill containment tray directly under the
containers
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EXAMPLES
UNBROKENmercury devices BROKENmercury devices
NON-SHARPS
mercury waste (e.g.,contaminated rag)
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EXAMPLES
Amalgam waste Elementalmercury waste
Fluorescent lamps
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PRACTICES
All personnel involved in collection, storage,transport, and supervision of mercury wasteshould receive special training on mercurywaste management including spill cleanup.
Material Safety Data Sheets and InternationalChemical Safety Cards on mercury should bediscussed with employees.
The most senior staff involved in a cleanup is
responsible for ensuring replenishment of thecontents. Spill kits should have a signed sheetindicating when they were used andreplenishment.
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PRACTICES
The storage space should be inspectedevery month to check for leaks, corroded orbroken containers, improper methods of
storage, ventilation, the condition of the PPEand wash area, spill kit contents, andupdated records.
Inventory records should be kept of the types
of mercury waste, descriptions, quantities instorage, and initial dates of storage.
No smoking or eating in and around thestorage space.
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EXAMPLE: LARGE HOSPITAL
1000 unbroken thermometers Wrapped in plastic bag and taped to form compact volume
Taped thermometers placed in 3L stainless steel can with plasticbubble wrap [primary container]
Can is labeled
Can is placed in a 4L, 75 micron transparent sealable plastic bag[secondary container]
20 unbroken sphygmomanometers Placed in their original cases with labels [primary container]
Cases taped together in groups of four
Taped cases placed in 100 micron colored garbage bag with label[secondary container]
500 broken thermometers Placed in a 3L stainless steel can with tight lid [primary container]
Can placed in a 4L 75 micron transparent sealable plastic bag[secondary container]
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EXAMPLE: LARGE HOSPITAL
350 liters of non-sharp cleanup waste (rags, towels, etc.) Placed in 75 micron sealable plastic bags with labels [primary
container]
Bags placed in two 220L plastic drums with gasketed latching lidwith outside label [secondary container]
40 ml of elemental mercury Placed in a 100 ml wide-mouthed 0.3mm PET container with water
[primary container]
Container placed in a 6ml transparent re-sealable bag on a spilltray [secondary container]
1.5 liters of dental amalgam Placed in marked 2L PET bottle with dry vapor suppressant
[primary container]
Bottle placed in 75 micron transparent resealable bag on a spill tray[secondary container]
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EXAMPLE: LARGE HOSPITAL
1,280 T8 fluorescent lamps Placed in UN-approved, labeled drums
Storage room: 3 x 3 meter locked room in the basement
Basement is off-limits to patients and visitors
“Danger: Mercury Waste” and poison symbol on the door
Exhaust fan on one wall capable of 22 ACH
Air is blown out above the roof line facing an empty yard
Mechanical damper plates in the AC vent
Smooth floor with polyurethane paint and flexible plastic bundingstrip around the area where the mercury waste is stored
Cabinet with a spill kit, PPE, MSDSs, a copy of the inventory, andother records located outside the storage room
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EXAMPLE: SMALL HOSPITAL
Small quantities of old thermometers, 1 or 2sphygmomanometers, some dental amalgam Packaged using primary and secondary containers as above
Storage : Refrigerator in a locked room
“Danger: Mercury Waste” and poison symbol on refrigerator door
Fan stored by the window facing an empty yard
Plastic tray at the bottom shelf of the refrigerator
Cabinet with a spill kit, PPE, MSDSs, a copy of the inventory, andother records located outside the room
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Siting of an Interim Central Storage Facility
At least 150 meters away fromschools, hospitals, homes, foodprocessing, agricultural operations,
rivers or lakes, fisheries
Secure area
Accessible to vehicles transportingmercury waste
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Design of an Interim Central Storage Facility
Size should handle maximum anticipated volumeof mercury waste, plus shelving space, aisles, etc.
Measures to withstand floods, earthquakes,
typhoons, and other natural disastersClosely controlled access with an intrusion
detection and alarm system
Air conditioning to control temperature andhumidity
Heat, smoke and fire detection andalarm system, plus a fire suppression
system
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Design of an Interim Central Storage Facility
At least four distinct and separate functional areas:
Receiving area for receiving and presortingwaste, re-labeling if necessary, and signing
documents
Inspection area for checking for leaks,repackaging, secondary containment, and re-
labeling if necessary Storage area specific for mercury waste
Administrative and record-keeping area
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Design of an Interim Central Storage Facility
Storage area Warning signs on all doors
Continuous or periodic monitoring of mercury levels
Spill control features including floor sealant andcontainment dikes
Shelving and storage racks not above shoulder height
Lighting, aisle space, stacking, arrangements ofcontainers, and labeling designed to facilitate inspectionand future transport to terminal storage
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Design of an Interim Central Storage Facility
Storage area Risk Level 1 (highest risk): elemental mercury, unbroken
sphygmomanometers, and medical devices containing large amountsof mercury (gastro-intestinal tubes, esophageal dilators, etc.)
Risk Level 2: unbroken mercury thermometers, small mercuryswitches and small relays from electrical equipment
Risk Level 3: broken glassware contaminated with mercury, mercurycleanup waste
Risk Level 4: fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent bulbs, dental
amalgam
Shelving and storage racks for Risk Levels 1 and 2fitted with plastic containment trays
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Other Procedures for Interim Central Storage
Manifest systemLicensing
Hazardous waste management plan
including storage and labeling guidelines, andstaff training
Periodic monitoring, weekly inspection,
record-keeping, periodic reportingHealth surveillance, medical monitoring of
workers
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Summary Points
Remember: surface tension, mobility,volatility, toxicity of mercury
Redundancy: primary container to prevent
leaks, secondary container in case theprimary container breaks, bund or tray
Use proper PPE when handling mercury
Seek practical solutions consistent with the
basic principles needed to protect health andenvironment
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UNDP GEF Guidance Document
GUIDANCE ON THE CLEANUP, TEMPORARYOR INTERMEDIATE STORAGE, ANDTRANSPORT OF MERCURY WASTE FROMHEALTHCARE FACILITIES
(latest revision: July 21, 2010)
Available from: www.gefmedwaste.org