Iron(III) sulfate (CAS 10028-22-5): storage and disposal

Because it may be corrosive to metals, keep it off bare metal shelving and out of metal tins, on a tray in a dry, labelled store. In a dental surgery the haemostatic solution sits in a cupboard with other materials, and the bottle should be kept upright with the cap tight and the expiry date visible. The solid hydrate in a teaching store is general class stock, dated on arrival and kept away from food grade supplies. Because of the serious eye damage classification, handle a cracked bottle or a jar with a crusted neck as an eye risk.

Check the container's metal parts first. A solution or a damp solid that may be corrosive to metals shows up as rust or pitting on a cap, a nearby shelf or a tray, and as a brown or yellow stain where liquid has crept out. Solid stock can clump if damp. For dental solutions, look at the expiry date, the cap, the label and the level in the bottle, and for a change in colour or any sediment. A bottle that is past its date or has no readable label should be set aside and recorded. Altered stock is still iron(III) sulfate.

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 We do not publish a drain or general waste route for any chemical.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 general laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Dental surgeries are the main complication. A small bottle of haemostatic solution is a ready-made product with an expiry date, and it should be described as such, with the original label visible and the cap tight. Solid hydrate from teaching stores is described by form and amount. A dilute solution may be less hazardous than the solid, but it is still chemical waste. It is normally hazardous waste, usually collected under 16 05 06* in a lab pack or 18 01 06* in a human healthcare setting, though the producer classifies the waste. It must not go into a sink, a drain, general waste or a skip, and nobody should try to treat it first.

Usually held as: hydrate, haemostatic solutions.

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.