Solutions containing EtBr can be deactivated, neutralized and poured down the drain with copious amounts of water. Deactivation may be
confirmed using UV light to detect fluorescence. Apart from above mentioned methods by different experts, there are mainly three ways of Chemical Neutralization:
1) Armour Method
2) Lunn and Sansone Method
3) Quillardet and Hoffnung Method
More details on this method can be obtained in the following link (http://web.princeton.edu/sites/ehs/chemwaste/etbr.html)
However, as mentioned by Abhi Rama, u can opt for Lunn and Sansone method.
If u are looking for an alternative of EtBr then u can go for "GelRed" from Biotium which is also non-mutagenic.
Environmental + personnel safety is in your own hand :-)
For solutions its best to use activated charcoal. You should have some around anyway just in case you have a spill. Also gels do need special disposal, so using alternatives to EtBr is most desirable.
There should be facility that is responsible for collecting and dealing with these carcinogen. What we do is to get a big bottle and dispose all the EtBr waste in it and call to ask the facility to collect them.
You may also use alternatives to EtBr, not very expensive.
If you're lazy go for the magical teabags (DeconBags or knockoff thereof). Less hassle than charcoal or columns. I don't really trust 'em so better pour down drain with lots of water, check sewer for giant mutant lizards periodically.
You could use a filter paper filled with activated charcoal for filtering the solutions with ethidium bromide.Activated Charcoal will bind to EtBr and the filtrate is free of it and can be safely discarded down the drain
Also, you can use the activated charcoal on a filter paper for a very very long time (may be 6 months to a Year) even when you run more than 10 to 15 gels per day. so disposing it off shouldn't be a big problem
Solutions containing EtBr can be deactivated, neutralized and poured down the drain with copious amounts of water. Deactivation may be
confirmed using UV light to detect fluorescence. Apart from above mentioned methods by different experts, there are mainly three ways of Chemical Neutralization:
1) Armour Method
2) Lunn and Sansone Method
3) Quillardet and Hoffnung Method
More details on this method can be obtained in the following link (http://web.princeton.edu/sites/ehs/chemwaste/etbr.html)
However, as mentioned by Abhi Rama, u can opt for Lunn and Sansone method.
If u are looking for an alternative of EtBr then u can go for "GelRed" from Biotium which is also non-mutagenic.
Environmental + personnel safety is in your own hand :-)