Hazardous waste management in the laboratories of the Technological Institute of Costa Rica (Phase III)

A plant pilot scaling took place in order to treat aqueous waste of heavy metals coming from the ITCR laboratories, which is storaged in significant quantities. We counted with the participation of Dr. Katsuhiro Harada, a volunteer Japanese, who proposed a treatment methodology that was proven and adapted in accordance with the characteristics of the dangerous waste that is generated in the ITCR. Also, we proposed an operative procedure to centralize the treatment of some waste that take place in different laboratories and that have the same chemical characteristics and; therefore, they can be treated using the same chemical method, which would make simpler and cheaper for these cases to concentrate the treatment on a single place, or in the case of very dangerous waste where the treatment and the final disposal are something complicated of implementing, it would be better to take care of them in a specialized laboratory with qualified personnel that carries out this disposal. A laboratory for dangerous waste was built to accomplish this. This laboratory was equipped with a reactor, a filter of mud and laboratory teams for analysis. The methods used at plant pilot's level for the treatment of aqueous waste of heavy metals and of scums with cyanide proved to be effective.