EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Disposal of beryllium waste

We have some old pieces of equipment which contain small amounts of Beryllium ,as a coating on a sensor . I am aware thathis is a toxic substance and trying to find out how to dispoae of it is proving to be more difficult than i thought .
The suppliers of the equipment do not appear to be very interested in taking it back.

Any ideas?

Looks like interesting stuff! What sort of equipment are we talking about here, Pete?

Who is the original supplier? find out what their 'WEEE' regulation policy is (as all suppliers of electrical equipment have to have one) and force their hand! - I have sent stuff back to the original manufacturer years and years after production ceased!
If this doesn't work check out your local council regulations. We also use a company called Viridor to dispose of stuff.
The ethic I think is great but in practice its still a load of Bollox - Once stuff is 'officially' condemned it is considered 'Hazardous' waste and will require specialised transportation to its final resting place by licensed personnel. It will then be collected by a man in a rental van(sorry - Specialized transportation vehicle - at an extortionate price) and dumped( sorry - responsibly disposed of ) at the local Dump (sorry - recycling centre) where it will exude it's toxic chemicals into the environment (sorry - Brown field site to be built on next year to provide affordable housing to new time buyers!)
I'm sorry to appear cynical but I am actually speaking from experience!!
I do feel that responsible disposal is a very necessary part of what we do - but be aware of those who have just jumped on the band wagon - ask how and what they do with the waste. It is up to us ( the consumer) to shape the ethics and morals of the those who wish to dispose of our waste!

Cynical, Rob? No way! How on earth could we have gained that impression? Disposal shouldn't be too much of a problem for you down there, though, Mate. There's the sea on one side, and Dartmoor on the other! Did you want to borrow the van?

Sorry for the late reply guys ...Other things on my mind and such .The equipment is a radation detector that utilizes a small window for the detedtor .This window is coated with Beryllium .
I agree with you guys and the WEEEEE stuff .The guys who suplied it should take it back ! Tht's the theory but in the real world it's a paper trail . I just thought some body might have had the same problem and had an easy answer?
I had a problem with a Silver trap used on our old film processor and you would have thought these guys would be paying you to take it away as they can recover the Silver from it ! I will get the Physicst concerned to to push the supplier

Thanks again
Pete

I'm a bit far away at the moment, Pete, or else I'd pop around with the van. Bobcat's reasonably close at hand, though!

Yeah, surely your Physicist must have "channels" for dealing with this sort of thing?

Just dispose of it down the sink with the mercury! Stupid comment I hear you say? But I think Geoff knows where I am coming from! Things have changed for the better now mate!

Ed

I remember the oxide as mentioned on wikipedia "Beryllium oxide is frequently used as an insulator base plate in high-power transistors" use to come with a warning with replacement transistors that it was highly toxic and even a small bit ingested was fatal. Amazingly it was used in a few household items and disposal instructions were to contract your local council toxic waste disposal department. Although I don’t know if that ever worked because in a previous employment they use to have a couple of jars of the stuff that was years old and they could never get rid of it!

Perhaps you don't want me to mention the "bonfires" out in the desert, then, Eddie (or have things really moved on since I left)?

Damn, Chris, I used to munch on those wafers, whilst waiting for my sandwiches to soak up the spilled mercury!

Out of sight, out of mind mate! I really wouldn't know?

Ed