RE: Thymerasol Filtering

["Callahan, Mike" <Mike.Callahan@jacobs.com>]

Tim,

The first thing you need to do is crush the vials and separate the
liquid from the glass.  The glass can then be washed and disposed of as
non-hazardous.  Well, maybe.  It will depend on the amount of residue
remaining. Since this is a medical product, there may legal restrictions
to its disposal no matter how clean it is.  Use of hydrogen peroxide to
destroy the vaccine component may work, but this would be treatment.

Since the vials are being returned to the producer, how do they handle
their existing wastewater streams ?  Perhaps they can crush and wash the
vials and then discharge the rinsate to their existing treatment system.
This waste would be no different than the wastewater streams generated
during equipment cleaning.  I'm guessing a crusher/washer would cost no
more than 5 to 10K and save quite a lot.

Chemical precipitation or carbon treatment may work for removal of the
mercury depending on its form.  I would contact the producer of this
compound and find out how they treat their wastes.

I'm surprised to see mercury still being used in a medical compound as a
preservative.  Since the vials are sealed, the bacteria must be
introduced at the time of manufacture.  Perhaps the company needs to
improve their production process so that the need for preservative is
eliminated.  While this will increase production costs, they might be
able to sell their product at a premium since it will be much safer to
the animal.  I am assuming the mercury is present only for its
preservative quality rather than any other medical quality.

Just some thoughts,
Mike.callahan@jacobs.com

> ----------
> From: 	Timothy S O'Neill[SMTP:tsoneill@iastate.edu]
> Sent: 	Friday, January 09, 1998 6:38AM
> To: 	p2tech@great-lakes.net
> Subject: 	Thymerasol Filtering
> 
> Hello.
> 
> My name is Tim O'Neill and I am a graduate assistant at the Industrial
> 
> Assessment Center at Iowa State University.  We are currently in the 
> process of performing an audit an animal vaccine company in our region
> 
> and we have come up against a problem which involves the disposal of a
> 
> hazardous chemical.
> 
> Here is a description of the problem:
> 
> Currently the vaccine company has a policy to buy back any vaccine
> which
> goes past the expiration date while in the possession of a customer.
> This vaccine, upon being received back at the facility, must be
> disposed
> of.  A large portion of these vaccines contain a chemical called 
> "Thymerasol," a mercury based preservative, as an ingredient.  Because
> 
> of this mercury content, the returned material must be disposed of as 
> hazardous waste.
> 
> The current method of disposal consists of throwing the individual
> vials
> of vaccine, container and all, into 55-gallon drums which are in turn
> taken off-site by a haz. waste disposal firm (this waste stream
> totalled
> 9,600 gallons in 1996, at a cost of $600/55-gallon drum).
> 
> We were wondering if there exists any type of a filtering system
> (activated carbon, ion exchange, etc.) which would be able to handle
> this
> type of application.  Another alternative which may exist would be to 
> somehow separate and recover the mercury itself.  For example, is
> there 
> some way to cause the mercury to separate and percipitate out of the 
> solution?
> 
> Also, would someone be willing to give me a rough estimate on what
> such 
> a system--if it exists--would cost?
> 
> I thank everyone in advance for your help.  If you need any more 
> information, feel free to email or call me here at the office 
> (515.294.0079).
> 
> 
> Tim O'Neill         
> Industrial Assessment Center
> Iowa State University
>