Hydroxylamine hydrochloride (CAS 5470-11-1): storage and disposal
Hydroxylamine hydrochloride is a white crystalline reagent held in college, university and pathology stores. Its hazard list is long: harmful by mouth and skin contact, a skin sensitiser, an eye irritant, suspected of causing cancer, linked to organ damage on repeated exposure, very toxic to aquatic life and corrosive to metals. That last point shapes shelving as much as the human hazards do.
- CAS number
- 5470-11-1
- Form
- Solid
- Storage class
- Toxic
- Signal word
- Warning
- Usual EWC code
- 16 05 06*
Corrosive
Harmful or irritant
Serious health hazard
Hazardous to the environment
What to do this week
- Check the label is readable and write down the opened date if it is not already there.
- Check it is stored as toxic stock and apart from the items listed under "Do not store with".
- 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
Oxidisers and acids are the neighbours to avoid, so the jar belongs in a locked cabinet with a stock record, away from both and from food and drink areas. As it may be corrosive to metals, it should not stand on bare metal shelving or inside a tin cupboard, and metal caps deserve watching. It is a reducing agent, and a strong alkali nearby is another bad pairing, because alkalis release free hydroxylamine, a much less stable material. Where a store holds several jars, keep them together on one resistant tray, tightly closed, so a leaking jar cannot attack the shelf.
How to tell it has deteriorated
Metal is where this salt shows its hand first. Because it may be corrosive to metals, check for rusted or pitted caps, flaking paint on a metal cabinet and stained shelves under the jar. The crystals are white and dry when sound. Caking, a damp or clumped base and any colour change suggest moisture or breakdown, and since it may decompose on heating, a store near a radiator or a sunny window is a poor place to judge condition. Labels worn away by handling matter with a sensitiser, because the next person needs to know what they are touching. A jar with an unreadable label or stuck cap is recorded and left closed.
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 toxic laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.
Nobody should heat it to dry it out, tip it into a drain or mix it with other residues, and it must not be neutralised on site. It is very toxic to aquatic life and may decompose on heating. The route is specialist collection, with the jar packed in a lab pack apart from oxidisers and acids and travelling as UN 2923. A university or college store uses 16 05 06*, while a pathology laboratory in a human healthcare setting uses 18 01 06*. Record the jar size, the amount left, whether the cap or lid shows corrosion and whether the crystals have caked.
| EWC code, laboratory chemicals | 16 05 06* |
|---|---|
| Discarded inorganic chemical, not a laboratory pack | 16 05 07* |
| Human healthcare setting | 18 01 06* |
| Hazardous waste | Yes |
The code depends on where the waste came from and what it is mixed with. Use the waste code finder to see why.
Do not store with
- OxidiserToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- AcidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
Named chemicals to keep apart
- Acetic acidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
- Calcium hypochloriteToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- Hydrochloric acidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
- Hydrogen peroxideToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- Nitric acidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
- Potassium nitrateToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- Potassium permanganateToxic and oxidising stock are stored apart. A reaction could release toxic vapours.
- Sulfuric acidToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
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
- H290 May be corrosive to metals.
- H302 Harmful if swallowed.
- H312 Harmful in contact with skin.
- H315 Causes skin irritation.
- H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction.
- H319 Causes serious eye irritation.
- H351 Suspected of causing cancer.
- H373 May cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.
- H400 Very toxic to aquatic life.
Precautionary statements
- P203 Obtain, read and follow all safety instructions before use.
- P234 Keep only in original packaging.
- P260 Do not breathe dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- P261 Avoid breathing dust, fume, gas, mist, vapours or spray.
- P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
- P264+P265 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling. Do not touch eyes.
- P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- P272 Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
- P273 Avoid release to the environment.
- P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
- P301+P317 IF SWALLOWED: Get medical help.
- P302+P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water.
- P305+P351+P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- P317 Get medical help.
- P318 If exposed or concerned, get medical advice.
- P319 Get medical help if you feel unwell.
- P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
- P330 Rinse mouth.
- P332+P317 If skin irritation occurs: Get medical help.
- P333+P317 If skin irritation or rash occurs: Get medical help.
- P337+P317 If eye irritation persists: Get medical help.
- P362+P364 Take off contaminated clothing. And wash it before reuse.
- P390 Absorb spillage to prevent material damage.
- P391 Collect spillage.
- P405 Store locked up.
- P406 Store in corrosive resistant container with a resistant inner liner.
- P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.
Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.
Questions
Why can hydroxylamine hydrochloride not go on a metal shelf?
It may be corrosive to metals, so a leak or dust on bare metal can pit and rust the shelf, and the cap on the jar may suffer too. A resistant tray on a non-metal surface is the better place.
Which waste code applies to a pathology jar?
A human healthcare setting uses 18 01 06*, whereas a university or college lab pack uses 16 05 06*. Say where the jar was held when booking so the right description goes on the paperwork.
The crystals have caked in the jar. Can it still be collected?
Yes. Caking is common in older stock and does not stop collection. Leave the lid on, do not break up the lump, and record the condition and any corrosion on the cap at booking.
How long can we keep an opened jar?
There is no fixed limit, but it may decompose on heating, so keep it away from heat sources and sunlight. Date it on arrival and check the cap, crystals and label each time you do a stock check.
