Prudent Practices in the Laboratory Handling and Disposal of Chemicals (1995) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Managment of Chemicals
Managment of Chemicals
Pages 63-78
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 63... ...
.~iS i:: .::: :~ ~ : ::: ~ :~ ~~ ~~ :: ~~ I: :: :: : :~: : :: : : ~ : i:: i: I: :i:v ::::. :~ :::~:i :.:::: :~a Hi: ~ a: : ~ :—:: 1"22".~''"'''~'2"' i"''''" '' ''aid it: ~ ::: I::: .: :~ ; : ~~ :: ,~ ~~ ~ i~ ~ ~ ~ ~ j :~::i:::::::: Management of Chemicals 4.A INTRODUCTION 4.B SOURCE REDUCTION 4.B.1 Importance of Minimizing Chemical Orders 4.B.2 Strategies to Minimize Hazardous Waste Generation 4.B.2.1 Microscale Work 4.B.2.2 Step-by-Step Planning for Minimization 4.B.2.3 Substitution of Materials 4.B.3 Strategies to Avoid Multihazardous Waste Generation 4.C ACQUISITION OF CHEMICALS 4.C.1 Ordering Chemicals 4.C.2 Receiving Chemicals 4.C.3 Responsibilities for Chemicals Being Shipped or Transported 4.D INVENTORY AND TRACKING OF CHEMICALS 4.D.1 General Considerations 4.D.2 Exchange or Transfer of Chemicals 4.D.3 Labeling Commercially Packaged Chemicals 4.D.4 Labeling Other Chemical Containers 4.D.5 Labeling Experimental Materials 4.D.6 Use of Inventory and Tracking Systems in Emergency Planning 4.E STORAGE OF CHEMICALS IN STOCKROOMS AND LABORATORIES 4.E.1 General Considerations 4.E.2 Containers and Equipment 4.E.3 Storing Flammable and Combustible Liquids 4.E.4 Storing Gas Cylinders 4.E.5 Storing Highly Reactive Substances 4.E.6 Storing Toxic Substances 4.F RECYCLING OF CHEMICALS, CONTAINERS, AND PACKAGING 4.F.1 General Considerations Solvent Recycling Mercury Recycling Reclamation of Heavy Metals 63 64 64 64 65 65 66 66 67 67 67 68 68 69 69 70 71 71 71 72 72 72 73 74 74 75 76 76 76 76 76 77
|
From page 64... ...
When experiments have been carefully planned, laboratory workers can be confident that they have chosen the procedures for working with chemicals that meet the following goals: · to minimize quantities of chemicals to be used, · to minimize disposal of hazardous materials, and · to minimize risks. Strategies for achieving the first three goals generally also are effective in achieving a fourth: · to minimize exposure of laboratory workers and storeroom and receiving personnel to hazardous materials.
|
From page 65... ...
Examples of such strategies include · carrying out chemical reactions and other laboratory procedures on a smaller scale; · considering the use to which a reaction product will be put and then making only the amount needed for that use; · appreciating the price that may be paid for making and storing an unneeded material; · thinking about minimization of material used in each step of an experiment; · improving yields; · using less solvent to rinse equipment, for example, by carrying out several rinses with small volumes of solvent, rather than using only one or two rinses with larger volumes; · using more sensitive analytical equipment; · substituting nonhazardous, or less hazardous, chemicals where possible by considering alternate synthetic routes and alternate procedures for working up reaction mixtures; · recycling and reusing materials where possible, and coordinating laboratory work with co-workers who may be using some of the same chemicals (section 4.D.2~; · isolating nonhazardous waste from hazardous waste; and · including in the experiment plan the reaction work-up steps that deactivate hazardous materials or reduce toxicity (see Chapter 7- examples include oxidation of carcinogens in situ or treating excess nota~sium metal with t-butyl alcohol)
|
From page 66... ...
Both chemicals are highly toxic themselves, but they offer a means to avoid the problems associated with handling a toxic gas. · Many widely used reagents contain toxic heavy metals, such as chromium and mercury.
|
From page 67... ...
While supercritical solvents require specialized equipment for handling, they offer the potential benefit of large reductions in organic solvent waste. 4.B.3 Strategies to Avoid Multihazardous Waste Generation Because handling and disposal of multihazardous waste require special waste management, it is especially prudent to develop strategies to minimize its generation.
|
From page 68... ...
4.C.3 I? esponsibilities for Chemicals Being Shipped or Transported The DOT regulates shipment of chemicals by a specific set of hazardous materials regulations (49 CFR 100-199~.
|
From page 69... ...
In addition, the following information may be useful: · hazard classification, as a guide to safe storage, handling, and disposal, · date of acquisition, to ensure that unstable chemicals are not stored beyond their useful life, and · storage location, in laboratories where multiple locations exist. In a chemical tracking system, the means by which the consumption of chemicals is tracked must be considered.
|
From page 70... ...
Barcode labeling of chemical containers as they are received provides a means of rapid, error-free entry of information for a chemical tracking system. If reagent chemical suppliers were to adopt a system in which chemical containers were labeled with bar codes providing essential information on their products, the maintenance of chemical tracking systems would be greatly facilitated.
|
From page 71... ...
The overriding goal of prudent practice in the identification of laboratory chemicals is to avoid orphaned containers of unknown materials that may be expensive or dangerous to dispose of. The labels should be understandable to laboratory workers, members of well-trained emergency response teams, and others.
|
From page 72... ...
In addition, samples that are sent to individuals at another institution must be accompanied by appropriate labeling and a Material Safety Data Sheet, according to OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard amendments and OSHA's Laboratory Standard "hazard identification" provision. When available, the following information should accompany experimental materials: · Originator: give the name, location, and telephone number of the person to contact for safe handling information.
|
From page 73... ...
· Store flammable liquids in approved flammable liquid storage cabinets. In seismically active regions, storage of chemicals requires additional consideration for the stability of shelving and containers.
|
From page 74... ...
(Local regulations should also be consulted.) The quantity depends on these safety factors: · construction of the laboratory, · fire protection systems built into the laboratory, · storage of flammable liquids in flammable liquid storage cabinets or safety cans, and · type of laboratory (i.e., instructional or research and development)
|
From page 75... ...
highly reactive material prior to expiration date. · Segregate the following materials: oxidizing agents from reducing agents and combustibles, —powerful reducing agents from readily reducible substrates, pyrophoric compounds from flammables, and perchloric acid from reducing agents.
|
From page 76... ...
Recycling some of the chemicals used in large undergraduate courses may be especially cost effective because the needs of the users are known well in advance. Among the factors to be considered when ordering from a supplier of laboratory chemicals is whether the supplier will accept return of unopened chemicals, including highly reactive chemicals.
|
From page 77... ...
Distillation within the laboratory should be discouraged because it is very difficult to avoid contaminating the surrounding area with spilled or vaporized mercury. 4.F.4 Reclamation of Heavy Metals Inorganic qualitative analysis experiments typically include some toxic metal elements, such as cadmium, 77 chromium, and lead.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.