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THE
ORCBS > Hazardous
Waste > Programs & Guidelines > Waste Disposal Guide >
 Hazardous
Waste Defined
Hazardous materials are substances that have hazardous characteristics such as: flammable, corrosive, reactive, toxic, radioactive, poisonous, carcinogenic, or infectious. In a general sense, wastes that contain these materials are considered hazardous because they present a potential risk to humans and/or the environment. Hazardous waste management plans generally separate waste into three broad groups: radioactive, chemical, and biohazardous.
Radioactive waste is classified as either low-level or high-level waste. Low-level waste is typical of that found at medical and research institutions (such as Michigan State University) while high-level waste is typical of that generated at nuclear reactors. At Michigan State University, a radioactive waste is any waste with detectable radioactivity that is generated from procedures involving licensed radioactive material.
Chemical waste includes a wide range of material such as discarded commercial chemical products (DCCP), process wastes, and wastewater. Some chemicals and chemical mixtures are hazardous wastes because they are specifically listed by the EPA. A chemical waste that is not listed by the EPA is still a hazardous waste if it has one or more of EPA's four hazardous characteristics: ignitablity, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity.
Biohazardous waste is a term used to describe different types of waste that might include infectious agents. Currently, the following waste categories are considered to be biohazardous waste.
- Medical waste means any solid waste which is generated in the diagnosis, treatment (e.g., provision of medical services), or immunization of human beings or animals, in research pertaining thereto, or in the production or testing of biologicals, as well as all categories defined by the Michigan Medical Waste Regulatory Act (MMWRA).
- Regulated waste as defined by the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA) on Bloodborne Infectious Diseases.
- Laboratory waste and regulated waste as defined in the “Guidelines For Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules” (NIH) and the CDC/NIH “Guidelines on Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories.”
- Pathological Waste (e.g., animal carcasses).
Finally, workers who generate hazardous waste(s) of any kind must be aware that there may be mixed hazards in their waste; that is, a combination of any of the three types of hazardous waste. For example, animal carcasses containing radioactive material, a hazardous chemical, and perhaps an infectious agent would need to be managed according to the considerations and requirements of all three types of hazards defined above.
If you will be generating mixed waste, contact the appropriate safety officer to determine the proper way to handle and manage this material before the waste is generated.
Requirements
for Chemical Waste
Waste
Disposal Guide Table of Contents
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