Didecyldimethylammonium chloride (CAS 7173-51-5): storage and disposal

Concentrate is the stock to think about, because the burns classification applies to it and not necessarily to the made-up product on the trolley. In a dental surgery or practice store it belongs low down on a resistant tray in a ventilated corrosive store, never on the shelf above the sterilising unit. Keep it in compatible secondary containment and separate from incompatible products, including oxidising chemicals. Check the product safety data sheet when arranging storage near other cleaning chemicals. Quaternary ammonium products also cling to soap and anionic detergents, so the cleaning cupboard is not a good neighbour. Label each container with strength and date.

A clear, colourless to pale liquid is normal. Concentrate that has been stored for a long time can show a crust round the neck of the bottle, a cap that has gone brittle or locked, a bottle that has cracked or softened, and damage to the tray or shelf below. A quaternary ammonium liquid foams heavily when shaken, so a bottle that has been agitated may look unusual without being faulty. Beyond container checks, no particular chemical change is described, so labels, dates and the tray under the bottle tell you most.

We arrange this by specialist collection. We do not publish a drain or general waste route for any chemical. It is normally packed in a corrosive other laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Packing comes down to compatibility. The collection supplier determines compatible packing groups from the product classification and composition, using suitable packaging where required. Record the strength on the label, the volume, and whether the item is the original concentrate or a decanted bottle. The classification for aquatic toxicity is why unused disinfectant must never be tipped away at a sink, however routine that has felt in a busy surgery. A human healthcare setting would usually use 18 01 06*, a veterinary practice 18 02 05*, and 16 05 06* is the general entry. A registered carrier collects the lot.

Usually held as: disinfectant concentrate.

Tell us the container size and how many you hold. An estimate is enough to start with, and some items cannot be priced until someone has looked at them.