Guidelines for Safe Disposal of Unwanted Pharmaceuticals in and after Emergencies: 2. Disposal methods: 2.9 Chemical decomposition

Guidelines for Safe Disposal of Unwanted Pharmaceuticals in and after Emergencies
(1999; 36 pages) [French] [Spanish]

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
	1.1 Background
	1.2 Prevention of waste from pharmaceutical donations
		Appropriate donations
		Good donations may be wasted
	1.3 The cost of disposal of waste pharmaceuticals
		The cost of waste pharmaceutical high temperature incineration
		Quoted weights of pharmaceutical waste
	1.4 Purpose of the guidelines
		What the guidelines do not cover
	1.5 Who will find the guidelines useful?
	1.6 Administrative aspects of writing-off unwanted pharmaceuticals
	1.7 Steps to be taken
		Decision
		Approval
		Planning
		Forming work teams
		Health and safety of work teams
		Sorting
		Disposal
		Security
	1.8 Consequences of improper disposal or non-disposal
	1.9 Public information
2. Disposal methods
	2.1 Return to donor or manufacturer
		Cross-frontier transfer of pharmaceutical waste
	2.2 Landfill
		Open uncontrolled non-engineered dump
		Engineered landfill
		Highly engineered sanitary landfill
	2.3 Waste immobilization: encapsulation
	2.4 Waste immobilization: inertization
	2.5 Sewer
	2.6 Burning in open containers
	2.7 Medium temperature incineration
		Halogen content of pharmaceutical waste
	2.8 High temperature incineration using existing industrial plants
	2.9 Chemical decomposition
3. Sorting categories
	3.1 The objectives of sorting
		Practical advice on sorting
	3.2 Optimum conditions for sorting
	3.3 Sorting categories
	3.4 Pharmaceuticals and other materials which can still be used
	3.5 Expired or unwanted pharmaceuticals
	3.6 Hazardous or potentially hazardous non-pharmaceutical materials
	3.7 Recyclable material
4. Recommended disposal methods by sorting category
	4.1 Solids, semi-solids and powders
		Anti-infective drugs, controlled drugs and antineoplastics
		Other drugs
	4.2 Liquids
		Pharmaceuticals with no or low toxicity
		Other liquid pharmaceuticals (except controlled drugs, antineoplastics or anti-infective drugs)
	4.3 Ampoules
	4.4 Anti-infective drugs
	4.5 Controlled substances
	4.6 Antineoplastics
		Special treatment for antineoplastics
		Antineoplastic drug disposal
	4.7 Disinfectants
	4.8 Aerosol canisters
References
Further reading
Annex I: Disposal by incineration
Back cover

2.9 Chemical decomposition

If an appropriate incinerator is not available, the option of chemical decomposition can be used in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations, followed by landfill. This method is not recommended unless chemical expertise is readily available. Chemical inactivation is tedious and time consuming, and stocks of the chemicals used in treatment must be made available at all times. For disposal of a small quantity of antineoplastic drugs this method may be practical. However for large quantities, for example, more than 50 kg of antineoplastics, chemical decomposition is not practical, as even small consignments need to be treated through repeated application of this method.

Table 1: Summary of disposal methods in and after emergencies

Disposal methods	Types of pharmaceutical	Comments
Return to donor or manufacturer, transfrontier transfer for disposal	All bulk waste pharmaceuticals, particularly antineoplastics.	Usually not practical - transfrontier procedures may be time consuming.
High temperature incineration with temperatures greatly in excess of 1200°C.	Solids, semisolids, powders, antineoplastics, controlled substances.	Expensive, particularly for purpose-built incinerators. Use of existing industrial plants may be more practical.
Medium temperature incineration with two-chamber incinerator with minimum temperature of 850°C. Cement kiln incineration	In the absence of high temperature incinerators, solids, semi-solids, powders. Controlled substances.	Antineoplastics best incinerated at high temperature.
Immobilization
Waste encapsulation	Solids, semi-solids, powders, liquids, antineoplastics, controlled substances.
Inertization	Solids, semi-solids, powders, antineoplastics, controlled substances.
Landfill
Highly engineered sanitary landfill	Limited quantities of untreated solids, semi-solids and powders. Disposal of waste pharmaceuticals after immobilization preferable. PVC plastics.
Engineered landfill	Waste solids, semi-solids and powders, preferably after immobilization. PVC plastics.
Open uncontrolled non-engineered dump	As last resort untreated solids, semi-solids, powders - must be covered immediately with municipal waste. Immobilization of solids, semi-solids, powders is preferable.	Not for untreated controlled substances.
Sewer	Diluted liquids, syrups, intravenous fluids, small quantities of diluted disinfectants (supervised).	Antineoplastics, and undiluted disinfectants and antiseptics not recommended.
Fast-flowing watercourse	Diluted liquids, syrups, intravenous fluids; small quantities of diluted disinfectants (supervised).	Antineoplastics, and undiluted disinfectants and antiseptics not recommended.
Burning in open containers	As last resort, packaging, paper, cardboard.	Not acceptable for PVC plastics or pharmaceuticals.
Chemical decomposition	Not recommended unless special chemical expertise and materials available.	Not practical for quantities over 50 kg.