Tripotassium EDTA (CAS 17572-97-3): storage and disposal

Blood tube additive stock arrives boxed, and the tubes are best kept in their original cartons so the printed expiry date stays with them. Because the classification includes harm if inhaled, any loose powder should be in a closed container on the general shelf, apart from food and drink areas, with the lid screwed down after every use. Unused tubes belong in the dry, labelled stock cupboard of the pathology laboratory or clinic. Tubes already used for blood are a clinical waste matter and should not be mixed up with this unused chemical stock. Date stock on arrival, rotate it, and keep powder away from anything that would be spilled over it, such as open reagent trays.

On a shelf, an unopened tube looks like a plastic tube with a stopper and a thin coating or small deposit of white additive on the wall. Old tubes may show a cracked stopper, a loose label or a printed expiry date that has passed, and vacuum tubes can lose their draw as they age. The additive itself shows few visible signs, so do not rely on appearance. Loose powder that has clumped or looks damp has taken in moisture. General checks also apply, including faded labels, staining around a cap, a failed seal and a missing stock record. Anything that cannot be identified should be left in place, recorded and held for collection.

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.

Unused tubes and powder must not go into a sink, a drain, a general waste bin or a skip, and nobody should empty the additive out of tubes or treat it beforehand. Collection is by specialist route only. Boxed tubes pack easily with other small items, while loose powder needs its own sealed container, so say which you hold. The classification means a hazardous waste consignment note applies. Record the approximate number of boxes, the expiry dates if readable and the setting, because a clinic and a pathology laboratory may be described under different waste codes. Keep tubes that have held blood out of the same consignment entirely.

Usually held as: blood tube additive.

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.