Vincristine (CAS 57-22-7): storage and disposal
Vincristine is a vinca alkaloid held as injection for infusion by hospital oncology pharmacies and veterinary services treating lymphoma, and in small research vials at universities. As a substance it is fatal if swallowed and suspected of causing genetic defects and of damaging fertility or the unborn child. Finished vials hold very little by weight, so a small box can be a high value and high concern item. Its cold chain and cytotoxic status mostly decide how it is handled.
- CAS number
- 57-22-7
- Form
- Solid
- Storage class
- Toxic
- Signal word
- Danger
- Usual EWC code
- 16 05 06*
Acute toxicity
Serious health hazard
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
Open the fridge log before anything else, because vincristine vials are normally held cold and away from light, and a gap in the record is the first thing worth finding. Stock should be in a dedicated, labelled cytotoxic section of a locked fridge, boxed so a broken vial does not contaminate food-grade or vaccine stock. Research holders often keep vincristine sulfate powder in a freezer with other biological reagents, where the small vial can easily be overlooked, so give it a listed position and a stock record. Veterinary surgeries with an occasional patient may have one or two vials, expired long ago, at the back of a fridge. Acids and oxidisers do not belong beside it.
How to tell it has deteriorated
Potency falls with heat and light, and that loss may not be visible at all. An injection that looks clear and colourless could still have been spoiled by a fridge failure, so temperature history counts as much as appearance. Cloudiness, particles or colour are definite warning signs, and a crack or a loose crimp cap can leave the vial leaking without much to see. Sulfate powder takes up moisture from the air, so a clumped or glassy vial plug in a research store suggests a failed seal. Labels on small vials can peel or fade in fridges and freezers. An illegible vial should be recorded as unidentified, with the box it came from noted.
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.
List the batch, expiry and fill volume of each vial, and say whether it is sealed, part-used, or has been outside its normal cold storage. Those details decide how the collector describes and packs each item. Hospital stock usually takes 18 01 08*, veterinary stock 18 02 07*, and part-used vials stay cytotoxic even when almost empty. Research powder is a different case, and UN 1544 may be relevant for its transport, so mention pure material clearly. Specialist collection is the only route, and the item can go through the online quote path if it is accurately described. Leave the vial in the fridge until then. Never draw anything out, rinse a vial or empty it into a sink.
| EWC code, laboratory chemicals | 16 05 06* |
|---|---|
| Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack | 16 05 08* |
| Human healthcare setting | 18 01 08* |
| Veterinary setting | 18 02 07* |
| 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: infusion.
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
- H300 Fatal if swallowed.
- H341 Suspected of causing genetic defects.
- H361 Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child.
Precautionary statements
- P203 Obtain, read and follow all safety instructions before use.
- P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
- P270 Do not eat, drink or smoke when using this product.
- P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
- P301+P316 IF SWALLOWED: Get emergency medical help immediately.
- P318 If exposed or concerned, get medical advice.
- P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
- P330 Rinse mouth.
- 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
How should we hold expired vincristine while waiting for collection?
Keep it in its carton in a labelled, separate part of the locked fridge or cytotoxic store, marked as not for use. Keep it apart from stock for issue, and do not move it to a general waste area. If it has to stay cold, say so when you ask for a collection.
Does a tiny amount of research vincristine still need specialist collection?
Yes. Quantity does not change the route, and vincristine is fatal if swallowed as classified, so small vials go the same way as larger stock. Give the vial size and supplier, and mention whether it is unopened or has been used for aliquots, because the latter may be stored around the lab.
A vincristine vial came out of a failed fridge but looks fine. Is it still usable?
The pharmacist decides that, using the product information and fridge log. Appearance will not answer it, because lost potency may not show. If they rule it out, mark it as not for use, keep it in a cytotoxic store and record the event alongside its batch details for your collection request.
