Dispose of osmium tetroxide waste following protocol by Harvard University Hazardous Waste Procedures
1 – Hazardous Waste Classification: Corrosive and Toxic
2- Osmium tetroxide must be deactivated once work is done and considered hazardous waste.
3 – A 2% osmium tetroxide solution will be fully deactivated by two-times the volume of corn oil(corn oil is preferred because of its high percentage of unsaturated bonds).
4 – Put the corn oil into the osmium tetroxide solution and wait for the oil to turn completely black. To test if osmium tetroxide is fully neutralized, hold a piece of filter paper soaked in corn oil over the solution. Blackening of the filter paper indicates that osmium tetroxide is still present, and more corn oil should be added. The corn oil and osmium tetroxide solution must be disposed of as chemical hazardous waste.
5 – Solutions of sodium sulfide or sodium sulfite will also reduce aqueous solutions of osmium tetroxide to a less hazardous form. The used solutions must be disposed of as chemical hazardous waste.- click on table to enlarge.
An eco-responsible approach to the preparation of biological samples for electron microscopy.
