That old ECD in storage might be a compliance problem. Here is how to fix it.

Many laboratories have an electron capture detector (ECD) they have forgotten about. It came out of service during an upgrade or a lab move. It went into a cupboard. And there it has stayed.

The problem is that ECDs are not ordinary laboratory equipment. They contain a Nickel-63 (Ni-63) radioactive source and remain regulated under UK radiation safety legislation regardless of whether they are in active use. Storing an ECD without the correct licence is not a grey area. It is a compliance issue.

This affects more laboratories than most people expect. Universities, contract testing facilities, and long-established analytical labs are particularly vulnerable. Equipment changes hands. Responsibility for legacy instruments becomes unclear. ECDs sit in storage for years, sometimes decades, without being formally reviewed or accounted for. The issue typically surfaces during audits, site relocations, or facility refurbishments. By that point, the organisation may already be holding radioactive material it is not licensed to store.

The good news is that resolving this is more straightforward than most people assume.

Ellutia has been working with gas chromatography laboratories for over 30 years and is licensed to manage Ni-63 ECD disposal worldwide. We have disposed of thousands of detectors for clients across universities, commercial labs, government facilities, and industrial sites. The process is handled entirely by us: assessment, secure collection, compliant disposal or reuse evaluation, and full regulatory documentation confirming legal decommissioning.

You do not need to know the exact detector model to get started. In most cases, photographs or the original instrument model are enough for us to confirm the next steps. We arrange collection from your site. You receive documentation for your records. That’s it.

ECDs cannot be disposed of as standard laboratory waste. Attempting to do so creates the kind of regulatory and safety exposure that is entirely avoidable. For laboratories that are uncertain whether their current licence covers their stored detectors, the advice is straightforward: check, and if in doubt, get in touch sooner rather than later.

Ellutia's ECD disposal service covers all major makes and models, including detectors removed from instruments that are no longer in service. There is no obligation to request a quote, and we will confirm whether we can help before any commitment is made.

Further information and a disposal quote request form are available here.