Tartaric acid (CAS 87-69-4): storage and disposal
Tartaric acid is held as a white crystalline solid in school and college prep rooms and university labs. It is classified as causing serious eye damage and skin irritation, may cause an allergic skin reaction and respiratory irritation, and is harmful if swallowed. The same name is sold as a baking and winemaking ingredient, so a tub with an unclear label is the most common thing a holder has to sort out.
- CAS number
- 87-69-4
- Form
- Solid
- Storage class
- Acid
- Signal word
- Danger
- Usual EWC code
- 16 05 06*
Corrosive
Harmful or irritant
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 acid 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
A screw-cap tub of white granules or crystals is how it normally sits in a prep room, and the tub should be kept shut, because dust is what reaches the eyes and airways. Because it can cause an allergic skin reaction, the habit to avoid is repeated handling of an open container. Keep the tub low down on an acid-resistant tray, away from alkalis and oxidisers. The name is also used on food and winemaking supplies, so tubs from a food technology room should not be mixed with laboratory stock. Date it on arrival and label the shelf as a chemical store.
How to tell it has deteriorated
Start with the tub and its label. Tartaric acid gives few visible signs of age, so what shows is mostly the container: a cracked lid, powder around the neck, a faded label or an unknown date of receipt. A tub that has clumped or set solid suggests damp has got in. Yellowing or any change in colour is worth recording, as is a tub that has been topped up from another container. A lid that does not seat properly lets dust out, which matters because the solid can irritate the airways. Tubs without a legible label should stay closed and be listed for collection.
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 corrosive acid laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.
Grouping is what matters most for this solid. The collector packs it with other organic acids, away from alkalis and oxidisers, and a jar outside a lab pack takes the code 16 05 08*. Tell the booking team that it is classified for serious eye damage and as a skin sensitiser, so the person handling the lab pack knows what is in the tub. It must never go into a sink, drain, kitchen bin or skip, and it must not be dissolved or neutralised first. Record the container size, the amount left and whether the lid has failed. Spilt crystals around a tub are worth mentioning.
| EWC code, laboratory chemicals | 16 05 06* |
|---|---|
| Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack | 16 05 08* |
| 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
- FlammableOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
- AlkaliAcids and alkalis react with strong heat and spattering if they meet.
- OxidiserMany oxidisers release toxic gas or become unstable in contact with acid.
- ToxicToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
Named chemicals to keep apart
- AcetoneOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
- Ammonia solutionAcids and alkalis react with strong heat and spattering if they meet.
- Calcium hypochloriteMany oxidisers release toxic gas or become unstable in contact with acid.
- EthanolOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
- FormalinToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
- HexaneOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
- Hydrogen peroxideMany oxidisers release toxic gas or become unstable in contact with acid.
- Mercury(II) chlorideToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
Show 7 more
- MethanolOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
- Potassium hydroxideAcids and alkalis react with strong heat and spattering if they meet.
- Potassium nitrateMany oxidisers release toxic gas or become unstable in contact with acid.
- Potassium permanganateMany oxidisers release toxic gas or become unstable in contact with acid.
- Sodium cyanideToxic stock is stored apart from acids. Several toxic salts release toxic gas in contact with acid.
- Sodium hydroxideAcids and alkalis react with strong heat and spattering if they meet.
- TolueneOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
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
- H302 Harmful if swallowed.
- H315 Causes skin irritation.
- H317 May cause an allergic skin reaction.
- H318 Causes serious eye damage.
- H335 May cause respiratory irritation.
Precautionary statements
- 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.
- P271 Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.
- P272 Contaminated work clothing should not be allowed out of the workplace.
- 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.
- P304+P340 IF INHALED: Remove person to fresh air and keep comfortable for breathing.
- P305+P351+P338 IF IN EYES: Rinse cautiously with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- P305+P354+P338 IF IN EYES: Immediately rinse with water for several minutes. Remove contact lenses, if present and easy to do. Continue rinsing.
- P317 Get medical help.
- 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.
- P403+P233 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep container tightly closed.
- P405 Store locked up.
- P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.
Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.
Questions
Can the tartaric acid from a food technology room go in the same cupboard as lab stock?
Keep it separate and labelled. The same name is sold as a food and winemaking ingredient, but once a tub has been in a laboratory store it should be treated as laboratory stock and not returned to a kitchen.
What is the hazard of handling an old tub regularly?
It may cause an allergic skin reaction and respiratory irritation, and it causes serious eye damage. Keep the lid on, avoid raising dust, and put old tubs on the collection list rather than opening them often.
Why has our tartaric acid set into a lump?
Clumping suggests damp has got into the tub. It is still classified for serious eye damage and skin sensitisation. Leave the lid on, do not break it up, and list it for collection if it is old or its label is unreadable.
