Do safety data sheets (SDS) provide specific information pertaining to environmentally safe disposal methods for chemical wastes? A preliminary viewpoint with special reference to highly toxic and genotoxic chemicals used in biomedical laboratories.

Safety data sheets (SDS) of chemicals are not only a key component of hazard/s communication in workplaces, but also furnish information on safe disposal of the waste chemicals. However, the question is do SDS furnish specific information regarding environmentally safe disposal of wastes? Therefore, this paper provides an appraisal on specific in-situ pre-treatment (where applicable) and environmentally acceptable disposal practices described in the SDS of selected toxic and genotoxic chemicals used in biomedical laboratories. A total of 21 SDS were reviewed, but only 19% of the SDS recommended high-temperature incineration of the waste chemicals after dissolution in a combustible solvent.

A mini review of hazardous wastes generated by environmental analytical laboratories: a perspective from Sri Lanka as an economically developing country.

Attention given to environmental pollution caused by environmental analytical (EA) laboratories is very poor in Sri Lanka (an economically developing country). This article discusses EA laboratory effluents and hazardous solid wastes, current environmental management practices, and the legislative requirements in Sri Lanka. Effluent quantities generated are low (29.

Biomedical waste generation at Ayurveda hospitals in South Asia: A mini review of the composition, quantities and characteristics.

Ayurveda hospitals generate biomedical wastes (BMW). However, details on composition, quantities and characteristics are very scarce, details which are important to formulate a proper waste management plan for subsequent implementation and continual improvement. Therefore, this article presents a mini review of the composition, quantities and characteristics of BMW generated from Ayurveda hospitals.

Fish diversity and assemblage in the Batticaloa lagoon, Sri Lanka.

The Batticaloa Lagoon (Sri Lanka's third-largest brackish waterbody) has suffered habitat degradation and water quality deterioration during the past 30 years due to various anthropogenic activities. Despite Sri Lanka having 40 lagoons, inventories on the lagoon ichthyofauna are rather meagre and data on fish diversity and assemblages are scarce. An assessment of fish diversity is essential to maintain the ecological stability and lagoon fisheries.

Are mangrove forests reliable sinks of heavy metals due to phytoremediation and other mechanisms? A Sri Lankan perspective.

We present a viewpoint regarding the prospects in Sri Lanka (a tropical island nation) to depend on mangroves in the remediation of heavy metal laden coastal environments. Sri Lanka has a rich array of lagoons and estuaries (total extent of 1580.17 km) with ideal brackish water habitats to allow mangrove proliferation and for more restoration works.

Bio-transfer factors and temporal variation of heavy metals in different sexes of three species of edible brackish water fish.

This article discusses bioaccumulation and temporal variation of heavy metals in three edible lagoon fish species with references to gender. Cd and As were undetected in the three fish species (i.e.

Spatial and temporal distribution of cyanobacteria in Batticaloa Lagoon.

The necessity to understand the relationship between cyanobacterial species abundance and water quality variations in coastal lagoons is crucial to develop strategies to prevent further cyanobacterial proliferation. This paper evaluates the relationship between water quality variations on the distribution of cyanobacteria during a 12-month period in Batticaloa Lagoon (Sri Lanka) using Redundancy analysis and Pearson correlations. Drastic variations in pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen (DO) and total phosphorus (TP) levels were reported, but not turbidity and NO3(-).