Anna Bergia's notes on waste disposal:

Solvents

• Halogenated solvents, for example chloroform, dichloromethane (code: 070103* ): they must be wasted in the dedicated 2.5 liter drop tank that you will find in the basement lab under the big table.
• Non-halogenated solvents for example alcohols, formamide, THF, etc. (code: 070104* ): they must be wasted in the dedicated 2.5 liter drop tank that you will find in the basement lab under the big table.

When the cans are full, the solvents must be put in big cans ( 20 liters ) stored in the green “building” in the garden, so please tell me something and I will provide to eliminate them.

Chemical substances containing or constituted by dangerous substances in liquid form (code: 160506*)

You will find under the big table in the basement lab a tank for these substances. You have to put there the exhausted aqueous solutions of ethidium bromide .

Chemical substances containing or constituted by dangerous substances in solid form (code: 160506*)

You have to waste this type of trash in a small tank located under the big table in the basement lab. Here you must put the agarose and polyacrylamide gels , because they are stained with dangerous substances (ethidium bromide or stains all dye).When the can is full, please put the gels in a plastic bag and I will provide to put it in a can for this type of trash stored in Prof. Capranico's lab.

Materials that must be treated with precaution because they could be infectious for humans (code: 180103*)

In this category we can put all the biological substances we normally use in lab (such ad DNA, oligonucleotides and proteins), even if they may be not truly infectious for humans, and bacterial cultures . This decision was taken together with the Director of the Security and Hygiene Service of the University of Bologna , Dr. Maccaferri.

You must put all these materials and the plastic ware used to perform experiments with these substances in the trash can containing a yellow plastic bag you can find under the small table in the basement lab. For this type of trash, there is also a small trash box you can use when you work on the benches.

Please, do not use this tank for plastic ware or gloves that have not been in contact with biological material or dangerous substances, for paper, food, beverages, etc.

Adsorbents, filtrating materials, protective dresses and protective gloves contaminated by dangerous substances (code: 150202*)

A specific plastic bag will be dedicated to these materials. For example you have to put here dresses and gloves contaminated by acrylamide .

Empty plastic ware originally containing dangerous substances (code: 150110*)

One small glass box is dedicated to this type of trash. For example you can put here the tips or the vials that have been in contact with the phenol/chloroform solution or with chloroform during the purification of DNA from proteins. When the box is full, I will provide to put this trash together with that of Capranico's lab, that is in the big blue box in the Real Time PCR lab.

Glass and sharp objects

There is an appropriate yellow box with a white cover for this type of waste. Here you must put all broken glass-made objects and all used needles (without their cap). You must not use this box for unused needles that have been always maintained with their cap, but you must put them into the normal waste.

Acids and bases

They should be diluted and neutralized before throwing them into the sink.

For all other types of trash, for example plastic ware or gloves that have not been in contact with biological material or dangerous substances, paper, food residues, plastic bottles, etc you must use the trash boxes that you will find in the two labs. Aqueous solutions of buffers and salts can be thrown in the sink.