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Chemical collection and stock control for UK schools, universities and hospitals

Gibberellic acid (CAS 77-06-5): storage and disposal

Seed germination and plant growth practicals in schools, colleges and universities are where gibberellic acid turns up, as a fine white powder in a small jar. It is classified as causing serious eye irritation and as harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. That second point matters more than people expect, because the jar often sits in a plant room close to wash points and trays.

CAS number
77-06-5
Form
Solid
Storage class
General
Signal word
Warning
Usual EWC code
16 05 06*
  • Harmful or irritant pictogramHarmful or irritant

What to do this week

  1. Check the label is readable and write down the opened date if it is not already there.
  2. Check it is stored as general stock and apart from the items listed under "Do not store with".
  3. If you no longer need it, add it to your disposal list so it goes on the next collection.

Safe storage in a school or lab

Keep it away from the damp of a plant room, and away from wash points and taps, since the powder takes in moisture. A spill that reaches water is a route to aquatic harm, so it must not be stored where it could. A dry, labelled, well organised store with a tight cap suits it, with the date on arrival. It should not share a shelf with food grade supplies or with seed stock that pupils handle. Because it causes serious eye irritation, a tray under the jar and a clear label help avoid dust getting loose. In university plant science rooms several growth regulators are often stored together, so label each clearly.

How to tell it has deteriorated

Few signs of age are specific to the powder, so the container carries the evidence. Look for caking or clumping where damp has reached it, stains around the cap, a split or faded label and a cracked jar. The practical question is whether the jar was ever dated. A bottle with no date, no supplier name or a missing record cannot be described properly. Record what you see and do not open a caked jar. A jar that has been kept in a humid plant room is the likeliest to show caking, and a jar shared between several groups is the likeliest to lose its label.

How it must be disposed of

By specialist collection only. It never goes down the drain or into general waste. It is normally packed in a non-regulated or low hazard laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

What must not happen is tipping leftover powder into a drain, down a sink or onto soil, because it is harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. The jar goes by specialist collection as hazardous waste in a lab pack with solid organic chemicals, under waste code 16 05 06*, or 16 05 08* where it counts as discarded organic chemical outside a lab pack. It must not be dissolved or diluted first. Record the label wording, the container type and the approximate quantity, and keep the cap tight until collection.

Waste codes and transport details for Gibberellic acid
EWC code, laboratory chemicals16 05 06*
Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack16 05 08*
Hazardous wasteYes

The code depends on where the waste came from and what it is mixed with. Use the waste code finder to see why.

Common quantities we collect

Usually held as: solid.

Part-used bottles and full containers are both fine. Tell us the size and how many, and an estimate is enough for a first price.

Where it is commonly held

Hazard statements

  • H319 Causes serious eye irritation.
  • H412 Harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Precautionary statements
  • P264+P265 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling. Do not touch eyes.
  • P273 Avoid release to the environment.
  • P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
  • P305+P351+P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
  • P337+P317 If eye irritation persists: Get medical help.
  • P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

Why does a plant growth powder matter for water courses?

Gibberellic acid is classified as harmful to aquatic life with long lasting effects. A small amount carried away in water still reaches the environment. The jar and any residues go by specialist collection, and must not go into a drain or onto the garden.

Our jar has clumped. Does that change anything?

Clumping shows damp has reached the powder. It does not change the classification or the route. Keep the jar closed, record the clumping and the label condition, and request collection with the rest of the plant science chemicals.

Can we keep it with other plant hormones?

Yes, as long as each is labelled and dated and the store is dry. Keep the group away from food grade supplies, seed stock that pupils handle, and wash points. Check the classifications of the neighbours, since not all hormones share the same hazards.

Guidance only. Check your own risk assessment and your supplier's safety data sheet.

Hazard data source: PubChem GHS Classification, retrieved 31 Oct 2026. Formula C19H22O6. EC number 201-001-0.

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