The disposal method depends on the chemical composition of the biotoxin. Most proteinaceous biotoxins, such as staphylococcus enterotoxin, ricin, and cholera toxin, can be effectively inactivated by exposure to 10% bleach for at least one hour or by autoclaving at 121°C and 15 psi for one hour. See Autoclave –waste and validation for autoclaving procedure.
Inactivating non-proteinaceous biotoxins is less straightforward. Examples of non-proteinaceous biotoxins are T-2 toxin, conotoxins, and tetrodotoxin. There is conflicting evidence as to which methods are most effective. The following instructions have been developed to ensure that the manner of disposal of all the non-proteinaceous biotoxin wastes is consistent and safe for all personnel involved.
This waste is picked up as chemical waste by the Division of Research Safety. Follow these instructions: