Tag: 1950

WASTE AEROSOLS

From deodorants to asthma inhalers to shaving foams to cooking sprays to insecticides, Aerosol cans has made our lives easier with its simple release mechanism.

Aerosol Spray Can
Aerosol Spray Can (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Invented by Erik Rotheim a Norwegian chemical engineer this simple but very efficient release mechanism of aerosol is unchanged in operational design since its introduction.

What happens when an aerosol can exhausts its content or is damaged? It ends up as waste. Most of the aerosol cans are hazardous waste as it still contain residue of its content and propellant. Some may be flammable, some corrosive, some toxic.

There are two special provisions assigned to entry UN 1950 AEROSOL in IMDG Code for transport conditions of WASTE AEROSOLS

Special Provision 327

Waste aerosols consigned in accordance with 5.4.1.4.3.3 may be transported under this entry for the purposes of reprocessing or disposal. They need not be protected against inadvertent discharge provided that measures to prevent dangerous build up of pressure and dangerous atmospheres are addressed. Waste aerosols, other than those leaking or severely deformed, shall be packed in accordance with packing instruction P003 and special provision PP87, or packing instruction LP02 and special packing provision L2. Leaking or severely deformed aerosols shall be transported in salvage packagings provided appropriate measures are taken to ensure there is no dangerous build up of pressure. Waste aerosols shall not be transported in closed freight containers.

Special Provision 959

Waste aerosols authorized for transport under special provision 327 shall only be transported on short international voyages. Long international voyages are authorized only with the approval of the competent authority. Packagings shall be marked and labelled and cargo transport units shall be marked and placarded for appropriate sub-division of class 2 and, if applicable, the subsidiary risk(s).

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ASTHMA INHALERS

Aerosol inhaler for asthma is a pressurized aerosol which when used will eject the medicine as aerosol into the lungs.

The content inside asthma aerosol inhalers is propellant and the medicine. Typically the propellant is almost 99% of the content.

CFC propellants are replaced by HFA (hydrofluoroalkane) propellants as CFC is an ozone depleting substance.  More information about HFA propellant inhalers can be found here.

Some of the asthma inhalers use 1,1,1,2-TETRAFLUOROETHANE as the propellant.

Cipla CFC-free inhaler (Generic Ventolin)
Cipla CFC-free inhaler (Generic Ventolin) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Since these inhalers are pressurized devices they will come under classification criteria of transport regulations. Aerosols are classified under UN 1950 in UN Model regulations.

Class 2.1 for flammables aerosols and class 2.2 for non-flammable aerosols.

However special provision 190 of model regulations states “Aerosols with a capacity not exceeding 50 ml containing only non-toxic constituents are not subject to the provisions of this Code.”

Inhaler capacity greater than 50 ML        = UN 1950 2.2

Inhaler capacity not more than 50 ml      = not hazardous for transport

Salbutamal metered dose inhaler.