...in drug control and investigation for teachers. Chapter 34 Final
Disposal of Chemical Teachers of the Treaty My name is Ernest Hedds-Vialo,
a chemical professional with 19 years of experience in control,
supervision, final disposal of chemical precursors and specific chemicals,
as well as psychotropics and narcotics. It's a pleasure to be here with you
and to delve a bit into the final disposal of seized chemical precursors,
as this is a critical process that will allow us to ensure that these
substances are not reused in digital activities. As we chemists like to
say, without chemicals there are no drugs, resulting in a complex process
that requires meticulous planning or the implementation of safe, effective
and efficient methods. Similarly, the participation of various authorities
and stakeholders such as police, military, customs officers, firefighters,
environmental officials, prosecutors, schools, as well as, the
participation of autonomous governments, municipalities, environmental
managers, and international organizations. For this reason, before carrying
out any final disposal procedure of the chemicals, both the 402 and the
1988 Convention, it is necessary to consider finding a suitable location
where the impact on the health of the personnel, the population, the
animals, and the environment is minimal. In this way, one of the critical
points to consider is finding and selecting disposal sites and the
recommended safety distance in relation to homes, villages, watercourses,
wells, and other sensitive points which must be taken into account to
reduce risk and danger. In this way, for rivers, streams, and other
watercourses, including irrigation channels, we would need a minimum of
750,500 m in remote areas. In fields or pasture zones, we would need at
least a distance of 500 m in agricultural. For cultivation areas similarly
500 m, villages, cities, or dwellings at minus 750 m distance, underground
water wells minimum 1 km or 1000 m, and from orchards or trees used to
produce food, we would need a minimum distance of 500 m. As I have shown
you in the photographs, we must always be careful with all our rivers,
animals. Plants, wells, cities, populations, and everything that is planted
or commonly found around where these chemical substances are going to be
embedded. This course is designed to instruct on the most commonly used
final exclusion methods in remote areas where adequate waste management
infrastructure is not available. The methods used can be applied in the
environmental sectors as long as they comply with environmental regulations
for the disposal of these substances. This chapter is based on two main
premises. First, that the substances and waste from drug manufacturing are
found in remote locations, and second, that the only way to dispose of them
is according to the methods indicated below. The second premise is that the
substances and waste from drug manufacturing that are seized and imported
are stored in secure warehouses or disposal facilities in large cities
which are safe for their maintenance and storage. For this, the governments
are obliged to provide appropriate disposal. For example, the law in
Ecuador allows the donation of seeds, chemicals to public entities that are
qualified for the use and handling of these substances, or the substances
can also be disposed of or sold to private companies that likewise have the
relevant qualifications for the use and handling of these substances. If
disposal is not possible, that is, if we cannot incorporate them into the
licit market through the forms described above by donation or sale, the
process of destruction is chosen, either by environmental managers or in
sanitary landfills, according to the chemical substances, to be destroyed.
At this point, all chemical substances considered dangerous will be
destroyed, only by environmental managers who have the appropriate or
respective environmental licensing according to the substances. However,
here in Ecuador, substances like sodium bicarbonate and calcium club, which
pose minimal risk to the environment and personnel, are treated as
non-hazardous waste and can be disposed of in sanitary landfills. This
results in savings for the state, as the final disposal in a sanitary
landfill incurs. Minimal costs, whereas using an environmental manager,
being private companies, results in increasingly higher costs. we will
discuss the methods of disposal under these premises the disposal methods
that will be addressed are those recommended by the united nations office
on drugs and crime these are often carried out by government or state
personnel for the disposal of chemical substances providing an idea of how
to perform each method and which should be applied according to the context
of each country and legal regulations the symbols for the disposal methods
are taken from the illustrated guide for the disposal of chemicals used in
the manufacture of drugs as you can see on the slide below we have the
different methods that we will cover in this chapter without further ado i
will address the topics one by one to provide a general context of the
different types of methods so that by the end of this chapter you will be
able to discern Which method or substances could be used with each of these
methods? This could include solvents, S-O-S-E-O-S, whether they are solid,
substances, acidic substances, or basic substances. With that
characterization of the substance, we could determine where we are going.
In other words, one of the requirements for choosing the method is also to
determine what substances they are. That is, we must have a
characterization of the substances, which I have also addressed in Chapter
31 or part of my chapter, and I would urge you to take into account and
determine precisely how the substances can be characterized, because it is
one of the very necessary situations for the final disposal of the
substances. One of the initial methods is open burning, which, when dealing
with chemical precursors, is a very dangerous practice and generally not
recommended or permitted in many countries due to the significant risks it
poses to. human health, and the environment. It is one of the methods we
must avoid. It is really not advisable to carry out this type of burning. I
will provide a detailed explanation of the types of open burning that exist
and the risks they may entail. These methods should only be used if there
are no other final disposal alternatives. Therefore we have divided it into
three parts, burning in pits, open burning of volatile solvents, and open
burning of combustible and semi-combustible liquids. We will start with the
first, which is burning in pits. This method is observed in the
intervention by authorities in clandestine laboratories that have been
accessible and wear large quantities of organic solvents or large volume
containers containing recycled solvents from the drug manufacturing process
are found, making it difficult to package. And use suitable containers for
transport and storage in collection centers. Therefore, these substances
are found in actual pools where drug traffickers, where people have taken
them to store them or often for the extraction of coca leaves, which is
commonly done in these pools. Sometimes, small pools of around 10 cubic
meters have been found, and sometimes, pools of around 50 cubic meters, 60
cubic meters, that is, really large. Therefore, one must consider that this
method is reserved for when immediate combustion is required, and the
substances cannot be removed. If the found pit does not have a pool, then
it is not considered a pool. For lining, the solvent could easily ignite,
contaminating not only the environment but also potentially affecting
groundwater. This is why immediate incineration of these pits, fully
controlled, is recommended. When dealing with these situations, it is
important to ensure that there is no dry material, such as trees or dry
weeds, around the pit. it is advisable to first clean the entire
surrounding area because the flammability does not only affect the
immediate vicinity of the pit but can also cause fires in all dry materials
within one or two meters Therefore, it is always recommended to clean the
area if there is no other option to avoid a forest fire or a fire. That
could be caused by the incineration of the relevant pit Similarly, we have
the open burning of volatile solvents. This method is intended, as you can
see at the bottom, to be the method in the middle This method is intended
for the following purposes For acetones, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl
toluene, ethyl ether, zion, methyl isobutyl ketone, ether-1, earth acetate,
and really all these that I am mentioning, as well as gasoline, aviation
gasoline, jet fuel, kerosene All these solvents are highly flammable liquid
substances and have a high vapour pressure which causes them to evaporate
easily and this gas can be toxic and flammable and can easily explode or
catch fire therefore full opening drums should be used exposed metal tanks
as you can see in one or half of the slide are the metal tanks we find
around with a capacity of fifty five gallons we need to completely open or
break the top part so that it is fully exposed this method must take
caution with the boiling point which is the temperature at which the vapour
pressure of a liquid equals the external pressure surrounding it the liquid
causing the liquid to turn into vapour in this method please do not fill
the drums completely but a maximum of three quarters and sometimes i
recommend only up to half of the drums total capacity when the solvent
reaches its boiling point that is when you start the incineration and it
reaches the boiling point It tends to escape from the container, causing
inflammation around it. Commonly, when it reaches this boiling point, like
any material, as you sometimes see when boiling water, the water starts to
splash. In this case, the solvent can start to splash out of the container,
but it is important to note that if this solvent splashes, it also splashes
while inflamed, that is, with a flame, and can cause a fire or inflammation
around the entire metal tank. This flame coming out of the container can
ignite everything around it, posing a danger to nearby personnel. Commonly,
these processes are not carried out from tank to tank. They are performed
with some types of processes involving some. Tanks that are usually placed
at a distance of 10 m from each other. This makes it easier to handle the
solvents, to ignite each one, and to maintain control. If one goes out of
control, it can also be easily extinguished to prevent it from continuing
and to stop the process, ensuring that the subsequent tanks are not
affected. We also have the third process, which is the open burning of
combustible and semi-combustible liquids. You can see at the bottom that
this would be the third method, intended for combustible and
semi-combustible liquids, including flammable liquids and other liquids
that, even though they are not classified as flammable, do burn. These
include mixtures like acetic acid, acetic anhydride, and here we can also
find chloroform, PAN, and PP. Isosceles These substances sometimes cannot
ignite on their own, but with a solvent, with a highly flammable solvent,
we can carry out the process, that is, mixing two types of substances. this
method uses drums cut laterally and the filling must be taken into account
the so-called foil blending is a method for preparing chemical substances
that might not combust or burn on their own as i had mentioned some
substances on their own are not flammable but when mixed we can induce
flammability and complete incineration of the substances in order to burn
them i tell you it is complete under this method in these cases less
flammable semi flammable or flammable liquids can be mixed with more
flammable liquids or other fuels such as kerosene petrol or jet fuel to
burn better generally what is the flammability rating of liquids that have
a flammability index of three and what is the diplomatic index d in the
diamonds you determined that chapter thirty one of the n f p a is a three
for flammability which is indicated by the color red So if you find a
liquid with a number 3 in the red part of the NFPA diamond, it is very
suitable for this type of process. And Zweitauzendien und Zwanzig we will
know that they ignite and burn on their own. These can be mixed with other
less flammable or non-flammable liquids to make them ignite or burn more
easily. Some solid chemicals, such as powders, can also be mixed or
dissolved in flammable liquids, so that they can burn. For example, in a
simple way, cocaine-based paste is not soluble in water, but it is very
soluble in organic solvents. Therefore, we can dissolve the cocaine-based
paste in an organic solvent and then set it on fire so that both the
solvents and the liquid can ignite. The liquid is dissolved in the solvent
and the cocaine-based paste are completely burned. For example, the drug
itself can also be ignited and destroyed. We have another method, which is
evaporation. The speed and direction of the wind are very important factors
in this essential method. That must be taken into account if the
evaporation method is chosen. Take into account the wind, which
considerably accelerates the evaporation, so it is recommended that this
method not be carried out on windless days. Additionally, the wind should
always blow away from personnel and populated areas. Ensure that there are
no open flames or other emission sources at least 50m from the area where
we are going to carry out the evaporation. They also need to ensure that
the firefighting equipment, such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets,
is at a safe distance of at least 25m from the evaporation area. Ensure
that additional personnel are equipped with the appropriate personal
protective equipment for outdoor burning. Place the drums in an open and
clear area, leaving a distance of at least 2m between them, as you can see
at the bottom of the slide. Then, when a separation of at least 2m is
achieved, approximately 20l of water should be added to each, brum, and
10-15l of volatile solvent. If during the preliminary fieldwork you observe
that there is no evaporation, it is recommended to use only the solvent or
volatile solvent, that is, without the water that was previously
determined. Additionally, as you can see, you should also do this in a
metal tank cut in half. Then, if this test they conducted is effective,
they continue doing it with water and solvent. But if the test is not
effective or takes too long, it is recommended to use only the solvent as
we had discussed. The rest of the personnel should remain at a safe
distance of at least 2m. There is a VAR on top of the Hinobarja, which is
also what I want to mention to you here. Why? Because if we are saying that
we are going to determine an operation, I can use the same containers or
metal vessels cut in half, I can, to gain greater tension, surface tension.
Increase the surface area through other methods that involve the use of
loose hay or straw as inert material, which increases the surface area and
allows air to circulate through this material, which slowly accelerates the
evaporation. Approximately 10 to 15 liters of the volatile solvent should
be poured over the hay or straw, and it should be left to stand until there
is no liquid at the base of the drum or the volume has decreased
considerably. The drum should not be filled to the top, nor should the
straw be saturated. There are risks in the production of chemical
precursors such as the emission of toxic vapors and inhalation. These
chemical precursors can release toxic vapors that are hazardous to human
health when inhaled. causing respiratory problems, neurological damage,
central nervous system damage and other long-term adverse effects. There is
also air pollution. The vapors can disperse into the air, contaminating the
environment and posing a risk to public health and the environment.
Similarly, flammability and the risk of explosion often cause explosive
mixtures. The evaporation of flammable liquids can create numerous mixtures
of vapors and air that are explosive. A western ignition can cause fires or
explosions, as well as the accumulation of vapors in poorly ventilated
areas. The accumulation of these leaded vapors increases the risk of fires
and explosions. Therefore, as you can always observe, it should be done in
well-ventilated areas. Omanli with all personal protective equipment. One
recommendation, try to do it from 9 a.m. Zwaitoz and dine around 2 o'clock
or 4 p.m. where there is plenty of wind and also, sun, avoid rainy days or
days without wind in the environment. The months of August, September and
October in Ecuador are the windiest months where this process should be
utilized the most. Additionally, there is the greatest amount of sunlight
during this period, which is summer in Ecuador. The next method is
composting, which is the process that involves two basic elements, the
first known as green material, consisting of fresh or green vegetable food
waste, and the second being brown material, consisting of dry material such
as dry wood, shavings, straw, manure, hay. Also, in this material, it
should be taken into account that the brown material is used for
composting, while the green material will be 50% manure and the other 50%
dry material. To constitute the, truly, one part of green material will be
used, with two parts of brown material. With this mixture, you will need to
ventilate every 2-3 days for around 4-6 weeks and ensure that the humidity
remains close to 40%, as these two factors are fundamental for good compost
and the elimination of chemical substances. Bear in mind that solvents made
from petroleum, including some chlorinated solvents and other chemicals,
can naturally decompose through this composting process, in which the
microorganisms that are naturally present in the mixture of organic
material and manure or straw consume the chemicals and decompose them. What
should you avoid in this process? First, it is not a quick method. It is a
long-term method. This is one of the fundamental things you must do. In a
way, we have not done it in Ecuador. We are intending to carry it out with
an environmental manager for this type of process. However, we need to
understand what we are going to avoid, which materials should be avoided,
and what difficulties we should anticipate in this process. Do not use meat
and fish waste as green material, please, because they can first attract
pests and then generate bad odors. Dairy products can also attract pests
and do not decompose easily. Zweitels and dine also all greasy residues or
oils. Ender the composting process. Benefits you can maintain from
composting. Firstly, compost improves the soil 100% by providing nutrients
and giving the soil a better structure. Waste reduction with this
purchasing method means fewer waste in landfills, more compost, and greater
benefits for agriculture. They naturally recycle both plant material,
manure, and organic solvents that can be included in this form of
composting. Composting is not a quick measurement method as I mentioned
before, but it is very simple, easy, safe, economical, and environmentally
friendly. The average time for the process can range from 3 to 6 months,
but a period of up to 12 months can be considered as long as this mixture
has 2 to 3. 6-week periods From the compost, you should add between 10 and
15 lm³ of solvent compost and you can continue adding it. During the first
Second and third weeks, proceeding with the cantina mixture, never forget
that the compost should always have 40% moisture and be completely aerated
so that the microorganisms can specifically decompose the solvent that we
are going to introduce into the compost. another method we have is the
burial of chemicals the burial of chemical substances can be a viable
option for the disposal of certain types of chemicals as long as proper
procedures are followed to avoid potential negative impacts on the
environment even if they are considered harmless substances it is crucial
to fully evaluate their composition and long-term behavior in the soil in
the leachate waters in landfills and in burials in remote areas chemicals
that are not harmless to the environment should only be buried if no other
treatment alternatives are available and there is an immediate need to
dispose of them local legislation is required to ensure that the
environment is safe for the use of chemicals regulations regarding rights
must be respected and all necessary authorizations for such substances must
be obtained the handling of these chemical substances can cause
environmental damage confined to remote areas Human teams would not be able
to move or transport chemical substances, and if the previously listed
substances are found, it is recommended to proceed with the burial of the
substance, for which a safety distance of between 750 m to 1 km should be
considered. Between the cove or enclosure where the chemicals were found
and the disposal site, ensure that there are no rivers or water sources
nearby. Array out the burial on elevated ground. Excavate a pit to a depth
of minus 3 m to allow for a fill of usand at minus 1 m of soil over the
mixture of soil. The chemical substance will go first in the pit, that is.
3. 3 m, you will have 2 m to have the mixture of the substances that will
be left as burial with the soil itself, and additionally, the last meter
will be filled with soil only. When covering the pit, please ensure to
place a mound of earth so that water does not accumulate. this means that
the mound will always try to slide the rainwater to the sides and allow it
to flow around if necessary or if available place a plastic cover to
prevent this water from percolating or forming leachates which could carry
away any substances buried there into the internal parts or nearby
groundwater commonly when one is in remote areas it is not possible to
complete the topography or finish all the groundwater studies so we have to
take all the old precautions with these tips similarly each pit should only
contain a single chemical substance do not attempt to mix various chemical
substances often when mixing many chemical substances especially from
clandestine laboratories not all substances are recognized or characterized
which can lead to many explosions when trying to mix just two or three
chemicals in a pit therefore you must ensure that each pit is used for only
one chemical substance if it is known that there are groundwater sources at
the burial site please do not use this method as it is not recommended as i
mentioned earlier what we have and can also do is training in sanitary
landfills or dumps when these substances are imported they can be
transferred to their warehouses of each government and they can be disposed
of in sanitary landfills or dumps it is not recommended to limit hazardous
chemical substances in sanitary landfills or dumps only harmless chemical
substances should be disposed of in sanitary landfills or dumps in this
case as mentioned capsules calcium juice and sodium bicarbonate which make
up almost 80 percent of our warehouse deposits in ecuador are the ones we
will dispose of in this manner so this method must comply with local
legislation and waste regulations each country also has different
approaches For example, in my country, bicarbonate, sodium and calcium
chloride are not considered hazardous materials, so I can carry out this
burial process in sanitary landfills. It is also important to consider the
suggestions made by the technicians of the sanitary landfills or dumps.
Similarly, do not exceed or only carry out 1-3% of chemical substances for
disposal in relation to the daily capacity of the facilities, that is, the
capacity of the sanitary landfill. For example, if a sanitary landfill in
one of the large cities can handle around 2,000 tons per day, you could
dispose of 1% of that amount of the total. That means if I have 2,000 tons,
I could dispose of 20 tons of chloride or bicarbonate daily. Commonly,
these quantities are not disposed of daily. Instead, we always let them
rest in the sanitary landfills for two to three weeks. Why do we do that?
To take samples from the leachates to determine if there were any changes
or differences in pH, hydrogen potential, changes in conductivity, changes
in COD or BOD. When we introduced these substances into the equator where
we had already made the determination, we did not see any changes from the
percolates to the leachates, that is, they remained constant. These four
parameters specifically, which we monitored in these percolate waters after
we deposited and mixed them with these fills that you can observe in the
photograph with heavy machinery. For example, if the daily solid waste
capacity is 1,000 tons, making it easier will allow for the disposal of 10
to 30 tons of chemicals using this goal. Sanitary landfills or dumps have
environmental licenses, for the final disposal of solid waste, so it is
recommended that after each process a sample is taken as shown in the
activity and each month they are monitored to ensure that the disposed
substances do not cause effects. We can use this method as a 100% viable
and environmentally accepted alternative. As I had mentioned, landfilling
in sanitary landfills or dumps has a positive impact in Ecuador,
significantly reducing the time of destruction and the presence of
officials or security personnel at final disposal facilities, with reduced
costs supported by municipalities and decreased transportation of
chemicals. These processes help to reduce inventories of substances such as
calcium chloride, which make up 80% of the inventories nationwide, thereby
reducing the danger and risks associated with the prolonged storage of
classified substances. Similarly, state institutions are strengthened in
the final expulsion process, sending positive messages to society with the
destruction of substances and their non-reintegration into illicit markets.
In this way, we have closed the loop on these substances to prevent them
from being reintroduced into the illicit market. As the final method of
this first part, we have the infiltration of harmless, or biodegradable,
liquids. This method takes advantage of the soil's capacity to filter and
biodegrade substances, converting them into less harmful components.
However, it is crucial to ensure that the liquids are truly harmless or
biodegradable, and that the infiltration process is carried out properly,
to prevent groundwater contamination and other environmental issues. This
method is highly efficient, effective, and simple, also quickly ensuring
that harmless or easily biodegradable liquid chemicals and neutralized
acids pose a very serious threat to the environment. And further decompose
or neutralize thanks to the natural neutralizing properties of the soil. In
this process, we will commonly use all these liquids, which in the last
method I will indicate to you, which is acid-base neutralization. After
carrying out the acid-base process, these neutralized liquids can be used
in this process. Liquid chemical substances and easily biodegradable
substances are used. Why? Because when you mix an acid with a base, a salt
and water are formed. The salt is not a contaminant, the water is not a
contaminant, and it would be harmless for the process. For this method, it
is advisable to create a shallow trench about 30 cm deep and several meters
long, where all these neutralized waters and commonly biodegradable liquids
can be deposited. Then, a cover of the substance should be placed so that
the formed salt can be determined, and the quality of the soil or the
soil's own determination can gradually improve. And so? And so this method
of infiltrating harmless biodegradable liquids would be like the
culmination of the acid-base neutralization process, which will be the last
method we will see in the next chapter.