How to Dispose of Nitric Acid

In this article, we’ll address specifically how to dispose of nitric acid. Like most acids, nitric acid can be neutralized prior to disposal. This chemical reaction greatly reduces the hazardous risks of nitric acid, helping your business to comply with the three tenants of proper waste disposal. The reaction must be completed safely, which we’ll explain in this article.

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Lab Alley
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Lab Alley

Proper disposal of chemical reagents is essential for three reasons:

  • Legal complianceWorker and environmental safety
  • Minimizing business/laboratory expenses
  • All labs and businesses working with hazardous chemicals must comply with the regulations set in place by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and local jurisdiction.

These regulations are in place to minimize risks to workers handling hazardous chemicals.Chemical waste disposal can be expensive for labs and businesses. Businesses must schedule waste pick-up from a hazardous waste disposal company. Minimizing your hazardous waste is one way to cut business costs. It will also reduce costs from replacing expired or spilled reagents.

Are Chemicals Safe? Debunking Common Myths

In colloquial speech, we often conflate chemicals and toxins. This is not only incorrect but also leads to harmful misunderstandings. It’s become trendy to demonize chemicals. If you’re on social media, you may have seen shirtless men hanging out in grocery stores fear-mongering about “chemicals” on food labels. But saying “chemicals are unsafe,” as a blanket statement, is kind of like saying food is unhealthy, or people are evil.

Certainly, there are some dangerous chemicals, just like there are some unhealthy foods and some unhinged people. But none of these things – chemicals, foods, or people - are inherently good or bad. They simply exist, and interpretations are contextual.

If you are allergic to nuts, they are unhealthy for you. Yet to someone else they may provide essential nutrition.

We can make an analogous example for chemicals. Hydrogen peroxide is poisonous if you drink it. But, when used as a disinfectant for surfaces in medical settings, it saves lives. So, is hydrogen peroxide unsafe? Is hydrogen peroxide a toxin? Yes and yes, and simultaneously, no and no.

In fact, “are chemicals safe?” doesn’t even make much sense as a question, particularly since literally everything in nature is composed of chemicals. This question completely misses the nuance that exists in every aspect of life. Let’s explore some of that nuance by taking a closer look at some common myths.

Myth 1: Chemicals are dangerous

Sometimes they are. Sometimes they aren’t. Considering that literally everything is composed of chemicals, it’s usually the latter. More often than not, whether or not chemicals are dangerous has more to do with the context than any intrinsic property of the chemical.

This applies to the above example of hydrogen peroxide. If you ingest it, it’s poisonous. If you use it to disinfect medical equipment, it saves lives.

We can easily come up with thousands of such examples. For instance, you can die from drinking too much water. You can also die from submerging electronics in water. Does this mean H2O is a dangerous chemical?

Sometimes chemicals do possess inherently dangerous properties that require special handling. For example, some chemicals are flammable, and need to be stored in specially designed cabinets. Other chemicals are corrosive or highly reactive. Such chemicals usually require specialty training for handling. Many – if not all – of them play an important role in essential processes. For example, hazardous chlorinated solvents may be essential for analytical methods that help to discover life-saving medications.

Myth 2: Only labs use chemicals

Chemicals are not just for chemists! Your whole body is comprised of chemicals that keep you alive and healthy, and dictate your mood. Everything around you, natural or synthetic, is made up of chemicals.

Even if you’re not a chemist, you can still use chemicals in an intentional way as well. Skin care products, like acne treatments, anti-aging creams, or moisturizers are some examples of some ways that you may already be using chemicals as part of your daily routine. This is true even if your product is labeled as “all natural.”

For example, if you have dry or irritated skin, the molecule glycerin is commonly formulated into moisturizers, where it acts as a humectant to supplement the glycerin that your skin naturally produces. This is just one example of a molecule that can be both natural or synthetic.

Myth 3: Chemicals aren’t found in nature

To beat a dead horse on the head, chemicals are everywhere – even in nature. Naturally-derived chemicals, or “all-natural” substances are still chemicals.

For example, think about your beloved morning coffee. If we ran it through a mass spectrometer, we would see that it is actually composed of thousands of compounds, also known as chemicals. Some of these chemicals are responsible for the color, some are responsible for the aroma and flavor, and still others (such as caffeine) are responsible for that little boost of energy you get after drinking.

Coffee is not unique in this respect. We can repeat the same experiment for blueberries, and see another complex profile of chemicals that are responsible for the flavor, anti-oxidants, and texture of the berries.

Where to source high-quality chemicals

We hope we’ve dispelled some myths or fears about chemicals. Yes, sometimes chemicals can be unsafe if handled or used improperly. The same chemicals can be life-saving or life-enhancing. Either way, chemicals are an essential part of life.

At Lab Alley, we believe that high quality products start with high-quality, pure, essential chemicals. Shop our extensive product line today on our easy-to-navigate website, with no-hassle ordering, and speedy delivery.

Buy Isopropyl Alcohol Now

Where to restock on nitric acid

Now that you’ve disposed of your expired or degraded nitric acid, you will need to restock with a high-quality replacement from a supplier you trust. Lab Alley offers high quality nitric acid at competitive pricing, with a no-hassle ordering process, and fast delivery.

Activated Carbon (Charcoal) Powder, Food Grade, Coal Based, 100 Grams
Activated Carbon (Charcoal), Granular, Food Grade, 100g
Activated Carbon (Charcoal) Powder, Food Grade, Kosher, Wood Based, 250 Grams

Conclusion

Chemical waste disposal can be expensive for labs and businesses. Businesses must schedule waste pick-up from a hazardous waste disposal company. Minimizing your hazardous waste is one way to cut business costs. It will also reduce costs from replacing expired or spilled reagents.

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