Coolant Disposal

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Originally Posted By: heathenbrewing

... "During the process of cooling the engine, antifreeze
often becomes contaminated with heavy metals from
the engine, grit, and traces of fuel. Benzene, lead, and
other toxins picked up from the engine may cause the
used antifreeze to fail the Toxicity Characteristic
Leaching Procedure (TCLP)…"

They also include copper and zinc as heavy metal contaminants, both of which are used in commercial plumbing for our drinking water.

If you follow the path of chemicals and where they originate from, the presence of lead, benzene, fuel, and other toxins in antifreeze is probably negligible compared to what comes out of the tailpipe into the air we breathe. This seems alarmist to me.
 
If there is no recycling facility nearby, and your house is connected to a municipal sewer treatment system, then pouring it down the toilet or a sink is the best solution.

As posted earlier, the ethylene glycol will be quickly used as food source for the bacteria in the treatment system.

Also, any small amount of metals will likely be handled safely when the treatment system disposes of their solid waste or will be diluted to safe levels before discharging the water to the local river, lake or ocean.
 
"Most auto parts stores will take it at no charge to you."

Not in Santa Clara County California :(. I have called all around trying to find a place that takes it. I did have a friendly local radiator shop which would take it from time to time, but he closed down. I called the county waste gurus and they told me that there is one week out of the year when the local dump has a hazardous waste collection day. Other than that, good luck.

It is stupid how hard it is to properly dispose of the stuff in supposedly advanced Silicon Valley.
 
Perdue.edu

Disposal: The major components of antifreeze can be broken down by organisms in a sewage treatment plant. If your home is connected to a sanitary or municipal sewer system, household quantities of antifreeze can be flushed down the drain with plenty of water. The solution is not so easy for those homes with a septic tank because antifreeze can overwhelm the organisms in your septic system, causing damage to the system. If your wastewater goes into a septic tank, very small amounts over a period of time can be flushed with plenty of water. Better yet, ask a friend, relative, or neighbor who is hooked up to the sanitary sewer system to use their drain to dispose of your household quantity of used antifreeze. Do not pour antifreeze into storm sewer openings, sinkholes, or abandoned wells where they will directly pollute the water.
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming
Dump it into your standard oil waste container & take it to Advance Auto Parts. They never ask me what it is. I just tell them I need the waste tank.

I once gathered 1 quart of used brake fluid, and headed to AAP to dump it in their tank. They said "This is awfully light, what's in it?" I said brake fluid. They then told me that old brake fluid is too wet to recycle.

They would for sure say no to used coolant.

Maybe if you put your used coolant in a jug and leave it by an auto repair shop, they will take it, as it may have some value as a recyclable product. If the shop has to pay somebody to haul it off, odds are they are not taking it, however, you may convince them to take it if you buy stuff from that store.

What a shame getting rid of old coolant can be so much more challenging than getting rid of old oil.
 
Originally Posted By: artificialist
What a shame getting rid of old coolant can be so much more challenging than getting rid of old oil.


I've actually found that it's easier to put coolant into my toilet than to put used oil into the tank of my buddy's diesel suburban. The coolant pours much faster!
grin2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming
Dump it into your standard oil waste container & take it to Advance Auto Parts. They never ask me what it is. I just tell them I need the waste tank.

That's just plain wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: Al
Originally Posted By: benjamming
Dump it into your standard oil waste container & take it to Advance Auto Parts. They never ask me what it is. I just tell them I need the waste tank.

That's just plain wrong.


That's also the reason a lot of parts stores stop taking fluids. One guy can ruin it for the entire populace.
 
Originally Posted By: kingrob

That's also the reason a lot of parts stores stop taking fluids. One guy can ruin it for the entire populace.

Yea..I meant to add that.
 
Originally Posted By: benjamming
I guess that you don't have a GM 3.1L as the oil is about the same.


Good point.
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