[Ashley Brothwood]

does anyone currently use any method to neutralizing sodium hypochlorite?
I'm writing up COSHH assessments and looked into accidental spills and to stop it from entering the general water ways.
The most promising neutraliser i've researched  is hydrogen peroxide the chemical reaction is below:

NaOCl + H2O2 → O2 + NaCl + H2O

its basically sodium hypochlorite and hydrogen peroxide → oxygen, water and salt

Obviously it's not as simple as just mixing them as the correct amount hydrogen peroxide would need to be added to effectively neutralize but it would be a much safer and better way that just diluting with water.

[chris scott]

Any of the "bigger" pressure washing companies that post on here should be able to help you with this….as they use a lot of bleach and will have specific RAMS for this.

[Mike Halliday]

Nutralising an Oxidising bleach with another oxidising bleach  does'nt seem correct, I would normally use a mild acidic solution or neutral  to stop the reaction of oxidisation but the  COSHH for hypo say not to mix with strong acids.

I would dilute heavily with water to neutralise  or use some sort of  spillage compound to adsorb the spillage

[Smudger]

A Risk Assessment Report (RAR) conducted by the European Union on sodium hypochlorite conducted under Regulation EEC 793/93 concluded that this substance is safe for the environment in all its current, normal uses.[27] This is due to its high reactivity and instability. Disappearance of hypochlorite is practically immediate in the natural aquatic environment, reaching in a short time concentration as low as 10−22 μg/L or less in all emission scenarios. In addition, it was found that while volatile chlorine species may be relevant in some indoor scenarios, they have negligible impact in open environmental conditions. Further, the role of hypochlorite pollution is assumed as negligible in soils.

is this any help ?

Darran

[Ashley Brothwood]

Ok thanks for the information. I wanted more so as occasional I get some busy body's looking over and asking how safe it all it so wanted to make sure we're covered if any did go down drains / onto soils.
Yes acids is very bad to mix with it as it creates certain toxic gases. Mixing with another alkaline "neutralized" it by making it safe in terms of water, oxygen and the salt would be the alkaline bit.
I only use small amounts no more than about 25litres a month to two months anyway

[Smudger]

Should the worst happen you can use sodium bisulfite to neutralise,then cover with soda ash, Clear up the remains into lidded buckets and dispose at a local waste management site.

Darran

[chris scott]

Should the worst happen you can use sodium bisulfite to neutralise,then cover with soda ash, Clear up the remains into lidded buckets and dispose at a local waste management site.

Darran

Would that then be classed as chemical waste…would you need a licence for handling it ? Would the local tip be allowed to handle it? Would you be in even more trouble for tipping it there without telling them?

[Smudger]

Modified post:

I wouldn't reccomend any local tip, surely in Liverpool you have proper recycling centres.
I'd say yes, wouldn't you ? - considering you require a waste carriers licence for mundane items as garden rubbish...

Darran

[chris scott]

Nutralising an Oxidising bleach with another oxidising bleach  does'nt seem correct, I would normally use a mild acidic solution or neutral  to stop the reaction of oxidisation but the  COSHH for hypo say not to mix with strong acids.

I would dilute heavily with water to neutralise  or use some sort of  spillage compound to adsorb the spillage

"I would normally use a mild acidic solution" ….really?

[Mike Halliday]

no I'm lying

[chris scott]

Have you ever mixed Acid and bleach?

[samson]

Have you ever mixed Acid and bleach?

Have you Chris ?

[Kev Martin]

The way to neutralise bleach is don't  use it in the first place

[Tadgh O Shea]

Have you ever mixed Acid and bleach?

Have you Chris ?

Hi Samson, don't even think about mixing acid with bleach or else, if you want a safer solution than using sodium hypochlorite to clean hard surfaces send me an email and i will share some safer secrets with you. Tadgh

[samson]

Have you ever mixed Acid and bleach?

Have you Chris ?

Hi Samson, don't even think about mixing acid with bleach or else, if you want a safer solution than using sodium hypochlorite to clean hard surfaces send me an email and i will share some safer secrets with you. Tadgh

I would never do this Tadgh, was just asking Chris if he had 
Can you email me, and tell me about your secret sauce please.

[Mike Halliday]

Have you ever mixed Acid and bleach?

Chris you are reading my post from a PW viewpoint and the use of hypo, my comments are based on my knowledge of 'bleaches' used in stain removal on carpets and fabrics.

Bleaches and acids are a  family of different chemicals.

Here's a article on mixing both for stain removal

http://www.cleanprosonline.com/How_bleaches_work.html

[samson]

Would love a less caustic alternative to hypo . . . . something you can just blast over the surface without worrying 

[samson]

Mike I really like your website, is it new ?

[chris scott]

Yep…Uric acid and bleach I have mixed the two in a bucket in the back of the van.

[samson]

Yep…Uric acid and bleach I have mixed the two in a bucket in the back of the van.

[Kev Martin]

Would love a less caustic alternative to hypo . . . . something you can just blast over the surface without worrying 

I have one but it is not pennies like Hypo

[samson]

Would love a less caustic alternative to hypo . . . . something you can just blast over the surface without worrying 

I have one but it is not pennies like Hypo

You are such a tease Kev !    Spill . . . .

[Smudger]

Would love a less caustic alternative to hypo . . . . something you can just blast over the surface without worrying 

I have one but it is not pennies like Hypo

You are such a ease Kev !    Spill . . . .

Only if you have the correct RAMS and neutralising agent 

Darran

[Mike Halliday]

Mike I really like your website, is it new ?

The power washing site is new,  the carpet cleaning site it links from is a couple of years old

[samson]

Mike I really like your website, is it new ?

The power washing site is new,  the carpet cleaning site it links from is a couple of years old

Nat Jones on here is doing a new one for us, but I struggle with the input of what I want !   Must be lovely to have a brain 

[Smurf]

I found it hard to keep awake reading this 
http://www.jmloveridge.com/cosh/Sodium%20Hypochlorite%20Solution%2014%20-%2015.pdf

Might be a silly question but why do you want to nutralise hypo as the msds sheet above seems to cover what info you need surely?

[Smudger]

The question was asked about spillage, my take on it is that most here would use hypo in 20 litre drums, so spillage containment is minimal

Should you be transporting 1000 ibc tank of the stuff, then you should be carrying the correct agents to contain a spillage

Darran

[samson]

I love Hypo, I wash all my clothes, brush my teeth, and put it on my breakfast cereal