Laboratory Management and Safety Table 1.1. Dangerous mixtures Substance Hazardous when mixed with: Water ‘Alkali metals and their oxides; oleum and sulphuric acid; sulphur Aluminium (particularly powdered) Chiorates Chromium trioxide Ethanoyl (acetyl) chloride Lithium aluminium hydride Magnesium (particularly powdered) Mercury(II) oxide Nitric acid Nitrates Nitrites Oxygen Peroxides (including hydrogen peroxide) Perchloric acid Phosphorus Picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenol) Potassium ferricyanide Potassium mercuricyanide trioxide; phosphorus(V) chloride and oxide; calcium carbide (acetylide) ; chlorosulphonic acid Chiorates; nitrates; ammonium persulphate and water; organic compounds in solutions of nitrates and nitrites Sulphuric acid; sulphur or sulphides; ammonium salts phosphorus; picric acid and picrates: metal powders; gallic acid; easily oxidized'materials such as sugar, sawdust, etc. Alcohols; glycerol; glacial ethanoic acid; ethanoic anhydride; other oxidizable organic materials; sulphur Lower aliphatic alcohols; water Ethyl ethanoate (which has been recommended in the past for destroying lithium aluminium hydride ~ now known to be responsible for some explosions) ; water Silver nitrate and water; peroxides; perchlorates; phosphates; heavy metal oxalates Sulphur Hydriodie acid; ethanol; methanol; easily oxidizable organic substances (e.g. paper, wood, sawdust, and sugar) Zine powder and water; esters; phosphorus; sodium ethanoate; tin({I) chloride Sodium cyanide, potassium cyanide ‘Metallic dusts; many organic compounds and powders such as flourand starch ‘Aluminium, magnesium, or zine powders Very dangerous with organic compounds, particularly alcohols donot heat Chilorates; nitrates; nitric acids; perchlorates Explosive when heated with salts of heavy metals or ammonia, metallic oxides, or by friction with oxidizing agents. Has been known to detonate when dry on contact with @ metallic spatula Halogens in the presence of ammonia‘Table 1.2 Dangerous chomicals found in school laboratories. Reagent Hazard ‘Acotaldehyde See ethanal Acrylic acid (propencic acid) Highly iritant Acrylonitrile (propenonitrile) Allyl alcohol (prop-2-en~ ol) Aluminium arsenide Aluminium carbide Aluminium nitrate Aluminium trialkyls, Ammonium nitrate ‘Ammonium perchlorate Ammonium permanganate ‘Amyl chloride (pentyl chloride) Amyl nitrate (pentyi nitrate) Aniline (phenylamine) Antimony and its salts Aqua regia Asbestos wool and powder Benzidrene (amphetamine) Benzene Benzoyl chloride (benzenecarbonyl chloride) Benzoyl peroxide Benzyl halides Bromine Bromoform Butyl ether Butyl methyl ketone Calcium Calcium carbide Calcium chloride The vapour and liquid are very toxic and may give rise to skin burns. A3-17 per cent mixture with air is explosive Toxic irritant; skin absorption; fumes may cause eye damage Very toxic. Evolves arsine gas in @ moist atmosphere Evolves highly explosive methane on contact with water Avery powerful oxidizing agent Instantaneous explosion on contact with water Can be explosive. Fire hazard Heat or shock may cause detonation strong oxidizing agent Flash point 2 °C Affects vision. Explodes if heated Highly toxic; skin absorption Allare toxic, and ate skin iritants which may cause dermatitis or anallergy Gives off suffocating, toxic nitrosyl chloride fumes. A powerful oxidizing agent; highly corrosive Accancer-inducing agent. Its use is illegal in British schools Toxic \Very toxic; skin absorption is very rapid, causing liver and kidney damage, Destruction of bone marrow may cause severe anaemia, Often contains carcinogenic substances as impurities, Damages skin and eyes A very strong oxidizing agent. May explode on touch if allowed to dry (lauryi peroxide is a safer alternative for plastic polymerisation experiments) Highly corrosive, affecting skin, eyes, and mucous membranes Both liquid and vapour are very dangerous tothe skin and eyes, ‘as well as to the respiratory system. Can ignite organic waste of sawdust. Purchase in 1 or 2.5 em® phials to minimize danger when handling See Tribromomethane Forms very explosive peroxides, Skin contact may lead to dermatitis The vapour causes depression and narcosis Reacts with water to release hydrogen — fire risk Reacts with water to release ethyne (acetylene). Carbide dust is a respiratory irritant The dust can give rise to conjunctivitis 10Laboratory Management and Safety Calcium hydride Carbon disulphide Catechol (benzone-1,2-diol) Chiorates of calcium, potassium, and sodium Chlorinated compounds of benzenes, diphenyis, hydrocarbons, naphthalenes, triphenyls Chlorine Chiorobenzene Chloroform Chiorosulphonic acid Chromic(VI) acid (chromium trioxide) Cresols Diazonium salts Dimethylbenzene Ethanal (acetaldehyde) Ethanoic acid, ethanoic anhydride Ethanoyl bromide, ethanoy! chloride Ether Ethyl etharioate Ethene Formaldeniyde Formio acid Furfural Furfuryl alcoho! Hydrazine and its salts Hydrochloric acid Hydrofluoric acid Hydrogen peroxide (100 vols upwards) A fire risk, as it evolves hydrogen in a moist atmosphere. Can cause dermatitis \Vapourises freely at room temperature. A 2~60 per cent mixture with ait is explosive and the self ignition temperature is 100 °C. Can be detonated by steam, the hot surface of an electric light bulb, or even by sparks from nylon clothing charged with static, electricity, Causes dermatitis and corneal burns Dangerous oxidizing agents. Shock or friction may detonate them when mixed with certain other reagents Cause dermatitis, acne, ulcers, liver and kidney damage, and central nervous system damage Very toxic can cause blindness Flash point 29 °C See trichloromethane Ignites most combustible materials, and corrodes most metals with the evolution of hydrogen. Has a violent reaction with ‘water, releasing a large amount of hydrogen chloride gas. Very corrosive on skin Dangerous to eyes. A powerful oxidizing agent See methyl phenols Highly explosive when dry, detonated by shock See xylene ‘The vapour is dangerous to the eyes and mucous membranes, Cause conjunctivitis, skin burns, and dermatitis, as well as skin Ulcers. The anhydride reacts dangerously with water and with sulphuric acid Fuming liquids, giving off toxic vapours which can cause corneal burns, Violent reactions with water or alcohol Forms explosive peroxides on storage Toxic, affecting eyes, liver, and kidneys Explodes with chlorine in sunlight ‘See methanal See methanoic acid The fumes attack eyes and mucous membranes Has explosive reactions with strong organic acids and dilute mineral acids Anhydrous hydrazine is especially unstable. tis very caustic, attacking skin and mucous membranes. Used as rocket fuels. Prolonged exposure to the vapour can lead to intestinal ulcers and dental decay Very corrosive ~ the vapour may cause blindness. Dangerous fon contact with any part of the body. Dissolves glass — keep in Plastic or gutta-percha bottles A powerful oxidizing agent which may react violently with Combustible materials. It may decompose with explosive Violence on contact with metallic dusts, or with catalytic metals such as iron, copper, chromium, and their salts; causes skin burns,A Laboratory Manual Hypochlorites Lysol Magnesium Maleic anhydride (cis-butanedioic anhydride) Mercury Mercury fulminate Methanal (formaldehyde) Methanoic acid Methanol Methylbenzene (toluene) Methyl phenols (cresols) and i naphthols and fnaphthylamines Nitrobenzene Osmium tetroxide (osmic acid) Oxygen (from cylinders) Phenol (carbolic acid) Phenolphthalein Phenylamine Phosphoric(V) acid Phosphorus(V) oxide Phosphorus (rod) Phosphorus (white or yellow) Strongly alkaline oxidizing agents which may cause dermatitis A poisonous disinfectant of the phenol group. Skin absorption (best replaced by Cetavalon) A serious fire hazard — water or tetrachloromethane will cause an ‘explosion with burning magnesium — dry sand is the only safe extinguisher Eye damage from the vapour. Explodes on contact with even minute traces of alkali The vapour is particularly toxic, causing kidney damage and brain cell destruction, leading to ‘mad-hatter’s disease’. At room temperature mercury vaporises until equilibrium is reached at 200 times the concentration permitted in industry When dry, it may be detonated by friction or shock. Causes dermatitis Used as aqueous solution, which gives off an irritant vapour which can cause catarth, Skin contact may lead to dermatitis, Causes acid burns, and the fumes attack eyes and mucous ‘membranes Very toxic, attacking the central nervous system causing blindness: Highly toxic: skin absorption The liquid or vapour is very dangerous to eyes and may cause skin burns and ulcers, ‘Skin iritants; skin absorption can cause kidney damage Carcinogenic, inducing tumours and cancer of the bladder. Use illegal in schools ‘Skin absorption; inhalation very toxic ‘Avvery dangerous vapour, absorbed by skin and by inhalation, Causes derangement of vision by depositing particles on the Greatly increases fire hazards The solid, liquid, and vapour are all highly corrosive. Skin absorption is rapid; the central nervous system and all internal ‘organs are affacted. Severe skin burns may appear some time after contact —all cases of skin contact should be referred for hospital treatment Some people develop an allergy See aniline Corrosive to eyes and skin Contact may cause skin burns, Has a violent reaction with water A fire hazard Burns spontaneously in air. Always cut under water in the preparation room, and only take the quantity to be used into the teaching laboratory ‘Small amounts of phosphorus absorbed over long periods may cause bone damage 12Laboratory Management and Safety Picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenol) Potassium Potassium chlorate Potassium dichromate Potassium permanganate Pyridine Resorcinol (benzene-1,3-diol) Silver nitrate Sodium Sodium dichromate Sodium perchlorate Sodium peroxide Sulphur dioxide Tetrachlorethene Tetrachloromethane (carbon tetrachloride) Tetrahydrofuran Thiourea Thorium Toluene 0, m-,p-toluidine (methylphenylamines) Tribromomethane (bromoform) Trichlorobenzene Trichloroethane Trichlorethene Trichloromethane (chloroform) Trinitrophenol Uricacid Xylene (1,2-dimethylbenzene) Causes dermatitis, and is explosive in contact with ammonia and metals Has violent reactions with water, acids, and lower aliphatic alcohols. A dangerous fire hazard Astrong oxidizing agent ~fi ‘and explosive hazard Known to cause dermatitis A strong oxidizing agent — will ignite organic substances, and explode with glycerol Very toxic liquid and vapour. Absorption can lead to male sterility systemic poison, affecting blood and nervous systems. A skin inrtant, causing dermatitis ‘An oxidizing agent. Explosive with magnesium and water Has violent reaction with water; fire hazard — cannot be extinguished with normal laboratory extinguishers — use dry sand and evacuate the building Harmful to eyes; the dust causes skin iritation and ulcers ‘Very unstable — fire and explosion danger Has a violent reaction with water, releasing oxygen — therefore a fire hazard Attacks lungs and eyes Causes liver damage and dermatitis Continuous exposure to very low concentrations can cause irreversible liver damage. Some people are allergic tot, and the ‘vapour interferes with the functioning of the cardiac nerve, leading to heart failure An initant, causing severe kidney damage Induces carcinoma in mice Causes dermatitis; radioactive See methylbenzene Highly toxic; skin absorption. o-toluidine is carcinogenic, and its uses illegal in schools ‘A metabolic poison causing liver damage Causes liver damage May cause corneal burns and liver damage Causes dermatitis and liver damage. Has a violent reaction with strong alkalis ‘An anaesthetic; causes nervous aberration, and can be addictive See picric acid Gives off hydrogen cyanide gas when heated Skin absorption; toxicity only slightly ess than that of benzene 13