![](media/image1.png){width="1.375in" height="0.4111111111111111in"}SHSD
Operation Environmental Evaluation

> **Environmental Management System ISO 14001 (IH50900)**

+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
| SOEE#         | Title:                               | **Revision:  |
|               |                                      | 2**          |
| **S           | **Microbial Plate Decontamination**  |              |
| HSD-EMS-05E** |                                      | **Date:      |
|               |                                      | 06/18/07**   |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
|               |                                      | Approved by: |
|               |                                      |              |
|               |                                      | R. Selvey,   |
|               |                                      | IH Manager   |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
| ![](media/im  |                                      |              |
| age2.jpeg){wi |                                      |              |
| dth="1.895833 |                                      |              |
| 3333333333in" |                                      |              |
| he            |                                      |              |
| ight="1.44305 |                                      |              |
| 55555555555in |                                      |              |
| "}**Operation |                                      |              |
| D             |                                      |              |
| escription:** |                                      |              |
| Agar plates   |                                      |              |
| are exposed   |                                      |              |
| to ambient    |                                      |              |
| air in        |                                      |              |
| suspect IAQ   |                                      |              |
| i             |                                      |              |
| nvestigations |                                      |              |
| in buildings. |                                      |              |
| This test     |                                      |              |
| concentrates  |                                      |              |
| naturally     |                                      |              |
| occurring     |                                      |              |
| microbes.     |                                      |              |
| Plates are    |                                      |              |
| either sent   |                                      |              |
| off site for  |                                      |              |
| counting or   |                                      |              |
| are held at   |                                      |              |
| BNL for       |                                      |              |
| colony        |                                      |              |
| growth. For   |                                      |              |
| plates at     |                                      |              |
| BNL, at the   |                                      |              |
| end of        |                                      |              |
| analysis, the |                                      |              |
| plates are    |                                      |              |
| d             |                                      |              |
| econtaminated |                                      |              |
| by chemical   |                                      |              |
| disinfection. |                                      |              |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
| **Frequency   |                                      |              |
| of            |                                      |              |
| Operation:**  |                                      |              |
| 2-3 times per |                                      |              |
| year          |                                      |              |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
| **            |                                      |              |
| Environmental |                                      |              |
| impact:**     |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| De            |                                      |              |
| contamination |                                      |              |
| is done with  |                                      |              |
| 50/50 mix of  |                                      |              |
| household     |                                      |              |
| bleach and    |                                      |              |
| water. Plates |                                      |              |
| are soaked    |                                      |              |
| for 2-3 days. |                                      |              |
| At the end of |                                      |              |
| disinfection, |                                      |              |
| the colonies  |                                      |              |
| are no longer |                                      |              |
| viable.       |                                      |              |
| Slurry is     |                                      |              |
| discharged to |                                      |              |
| the sanitary  |                                      |              |
| system        |                                      |              |
| (typically    |                                      |              |
| flushed in a  |                                      |              |
| toilet        |                                      |              |
| because the   |                                      |              |
| agar will     |                                      |              |
| still have    |                                      |              |
| the           |                                      |              |
| consistency   |                                      |              |
| of moist      |                                      |              |
| gelatin).     |                                      |              |
| Approximately |                                      |              |
| 1 gallon of   |                                      |              |
| 50/50         |                                      |              |
| bleach/water  |                                      |              |
| is generated  |                                      |              |
| in the        |                                      |              |
| disinfection  |                                      |              |
| process.      |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| Un-exposed    |                                      |              |
| plates that   |                                      |              |
| have expired  |                                      |              |
| yet show      |                                      |              |
| signs of      |                                      |              |
| microbial     |                                      |              |
| growth are    |                                      |              |
| soaked for    |                                      |              |
| 2-3 days. At  |                                      |              |
| the end of    |                                      |              |
| disinfection, |                                      |              |
| the colonies  |                                      |              |
| are no longer |                                      |              |
| viable.       |                                      |              |
| Slurry is     |                                      |              |
| discharged to |                                      |              |
| the sanitary  |                                      |              |
| system.       |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| Un-exposed    |                                      |              |
| plates that   |                                      |              |
| have expired  |                                      |              |
| but that are  |                                      |              |
| still sterile |                                      |              |
| are soaked in |                                      |              |
| water to      |                                      |              |
| release the   |                                      |              |
| agar from the |                                      |              |
| plate and the |                                      |              |
| slurry        |                                      |              |
| discharged to |                                      |              |
| the sanitary  |                                      |              |
| system.       |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| Conformance   |                                      |              |
| of proper     |                                      |              |
| disposal by   |                                      |              |
| the off-site  |                                      |              |
| vendor        |                                      |              |
| laboratory is |                                      |              |
| validated to  |                                      |              |
| BNL IH        |                                      |              |
| Group's       |                                      |              |
| satisfaction  |                                      |              |
| in the AHIA   |                                      |              |
| Accreditation |                                      |              |
| process.      |                                      |              |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
| **Waste       |                                      |              |
| Disposal:**   |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| -   50/50 mix |                                      |              |
|     of        |                                      |              |
|     household |                                      |              |
|     bleach    |                                      |              |
|     and water |                                      |              |
|     is        |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
|    discharged |                                      |              |
|     to the    |                                      |              |
|     sanitary  |                                      |              |
|     system    |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
|    (typically |                                      |              |
|     flushed   |                                      |              |
|     in a      |                                      |              |
|     toilet    |                                      |              |
|     because   |                                      |              |
|     the agar  |                                      |              |
|     will      |                                      |              |
|     still     |                                      |              |
|     have the  |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
|   consistency |                                      |              |
|     of moist  |                                      |              |
|     gelatin). |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| -   Plates    |                                      |              |
|     soaked    |                                      |              |
|     only in   |                                      |              |
|     water:    |                                      |              |
|     the       |                                      |              |
|     slurry    |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
|    discharged |                                      |              |
|     to the    |                                      |              |
|     sanitary  |                                      |              |
|     system.   |                                      |              |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
| **Qualitative |                                      |              |
| Environmental |                                      |              |
| Impact Risk   |                                      |              |
| Assessment:** |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| Negligible    |                                      |              |
| Acceptable    |                                      |              |
| Moderate      |                                      |              |
| Substantial   |                                      |              |
| Intolerable   |                                      |              |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
| **OSH Job     |                                      |              |
| Risk          |                                      |              |
| Assessment:   |                                      |              |
| [SHSD-        |                                      |              |
| JRA-05](http: |                                      |              |
| //www.bnl.gov |                                      |              |
| /esh/shsd/OHS |                                      |              |
| AS/PDF/JRA_05 |                                      |              |
| _IH_sampling. |                                      |              |
| pdfhttp:/www. |                                      |              |
| bnl.gov/esh/s |                                      |              |
| hsd/OHSAS/PDF |                                      |              |
| /JRA_03_IH_La |                                      |              |
| b_work.pdf)** |                                      |              |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+
| **Revision    |                                      |              |
| History:**    |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| Rev1:         |                                      |              |
| Converted     |                                      |              |
| from old      |                                      |              |
| IH50900       |                                      |              |
| Attachment    |                                      |              |
| 9.1 format.   |                                      |              |
| No content    |                                      |              |
| change.       |                                      |              |
|               |                                      |              |
| Rev2: Revised |                                      |              |
| the passage   |                                      |              |
| on Sterile    |                                      |              |
| plate         |                                      |              |
| disposal in   |                                      |              |
| Environmental |                                      |              |
| Impact and    |                                      |              |
| Waste         |                                      |              |
| Disposal      |                                      |              |
| sections.     |                                      |              |
+---------------+--------------------------------------+--------------+