Mixed Contamination

If during use, sharps become contaminated with a mixture of hazardous components, treat them as follows:

• Biohazardous and hazardous chemicals--decontaminate the biohazardous agent and manage as chemically contaminated sharps.
• Radioactive and hazardous chemical--manage as radioactive sharps.
• Biohazardous and radioactive--decontaminate the biohazardous agent and manage as radioactive sharps.
• Biohazardous, radioactive, and hazardous chemical--decontaminate the biohazardous agent and manage as radioactive sharps.

Disposal is less expensive and complicated if sharps waste has only one kind of contamination. The law requires that sharps always be segregated by their type of contamination after use.