Analysis of the Economic Viability in the Implementation of the Chemical Waste Management System in Teaching and Research Laboratories

Beatriz Antoniassi,Beatriz Bersanetti,Marcelo Telascrea,Mariana Kempa,Marcia Chaves,Vanderlei Araujo

doi:10.5539/jsd.v10n1p112

Abstract

The prudent management of hazardous materials, from their procurement to their proper disposal, is a critical element of a departmental laboratory safety program. However, it is known that the management of chemical residues involves a high cost and few studies are carried out aiming at assisting in the implementation of this system of management mainly about educational and research institutions. This work therefore presents the economic feasibility analysis in the implementation of the chemical waste management system in laboratories of a Brazilian University. The data were obtained through a questionnaire applied to the technicians of the laboratories generating chemical residues, these being, teaching, research and clinics of the university. The economic-financial analysis has shown that the internal treatment of waste with the construction of a laboratory in the university is an unfeasible project. However, the project is feasible using the already existing structure, such as the chemistry laboratory in the idle periods. In this way, waste treatment on the university campus is feasible, in relation to the costs involved with outsourcing. However, it is necessary to ensure that the chemical standards for sewage disposal, as stipulated by the responsible bodies, are achieved.

Highlights

Faced with the need to reduce costs and adapt internal processes to environmental needs, universities are pressured to modernize their management systems to provide better quality of their discards, enabling environmental technological innovations contributing to sustainable development.Environmental Management Systems (EMS) have been one of the alternatives used by universities to achieve these goals
It is known that the management of chemical residues involves a high cost and few studies are carried out aiming at assisting in the implementation of this system of management mainly about educational and research institutions
The results obtained by the analysis of the questionnaire showed that the university generates chemical residues in the following laboratories: Anatomy, Biology, Design, Engineering, Aesthetics, Photography, Herbarium, Clinical Analysis Laboratory, Dentistry, Chemistry, Sugar and Alcohol

Summary

Introduction

Environmental Management Systems (EMS) have been one of the alternatives used by universities to achieve these goals. They require the formalization of operational procedures, institute their monitoring and encourage continuous improvement, reducing the emission of waste and reducing the consumption of natural resources (water, for example). The growing generation of solid waste in urban and university agglomerations is a serious socio-environmental problem, resulting from unsustainable patterns of production and consumption which causes environmental and public health impacts that need to be addressed (Jacobi & Besen, 2006; Jacobi & Besen, 2011). HEIs is responsible for the training of new professionals and new thinking minds, there are still few developed practices and few publications on the subject (Tauchen & Brandli, 2006)

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Conclusion