United States
Environmental
Protection Agency
Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics,
Washington, DC 20460
EPA 747-R-08-001
April 2008
Mercury and Chemical
Management in Schools:
Teachers and School Administrators
Participant's Manual in Southeast Asia
-------
-------
The time and effort that many individuals contributed to the review and development of this
document is gratefully acknowledged by the United States Environmental Protection Agency
(U.S. EPA). We especially acknowledge the assistance of Ms. Pornpimon Chareonsong of the
Thailand Pollution Control Department. This document was prepared by Battelle Memorial
Institute under contract EP-W-04-021 at the direction of Mr. Clarence Lewis of the EPA Office of
Pollution Prevention and Toxics.
This document was prepared under contract to an agency of the United States Government.
Neither the United States Government nor any of their employees makes any warranty, expressed or
implied, or assumes any legal liability for any third party's use of or the results of such use of any
information, product, or process discussed in this document. Mention or illustration of company or
trade names, or of commercial products does not constitute endorsement by the U.S. EPA. As of
the date of this document, external links are current and accurate, and are offered by way of example
only for reference purposes. The U.S. EPA is not responsible for content of non-U.S. EPA links.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
".. .No one was sure what chemicals were involved in the fire [in the facilities maintenance
warehouse at the school]. Pallets of bleach, ammonia and sulfuric acid based drain cleaner had been
stored adjacent to each other, and rupturing of the chemicals during the fire created an acid vapor
cloud as well as chlorine and phosgene gases. The total cost of this event was about half a million
dollars." — From a case study of a public high school in New England, USA1
or in
Many schools have mercury thermometers and potentially even a stock of elemental mercury or
mercury salts. The sources of mercury and dangerous chemicals in schools are not always obvious.
This guidance applies to any school that purchases, uses, stores, or disposes of chemicals or
products containing dangerous materials, including mercury. Some of the most common dangerous
chemicals and products in schools include:
• Laboratory chemicals (for example, acids, bases, solvents, metals, salts)
• Industrial arts or "shop" class supplies (for example, inks, degreasers)
• Art supplies (for example, paints, photographic chemicals)
• Pesticides and fertilizers
• Maintenance supplies and equipment (for example, drain cleaners, mercury switches and gauges)
• Measuring equipment (for example, mercury thermometers).
Designed as a "Participant's Manual" to be used as part of a "Chemical and Mercury Management in
Schools Training," this document focuses on the policies and programs needed at the school and
district level for safe and sustainable chemical and mercury management practices. This document is
designed primarily for school administrators (principals and other policymakers), with a focus on
issues of relevance in Thailand and throughout Southeast Asia. This document may also be of value
for teachers, maintenance personnel, superintendents, school business officials, insurance industry
risk managers, and parents.
Do to
• Raise awareness by establishing a leadership team of qualified individuals to oversee chemical
management, and confirm the availability of budget and resources (Section 3.1)
• Implement pollution prevention and green chemistry principles, whenever possible, to minimize
the use of hazardous chemicals at schools (Section 3.2)
• Establish a chemical management policy and chemical hygiene plan (Section 3.3)
• Establish an environmentally preferable purchasing policy (Section 3.3.1)
• Conduct periodic chemical inventories to identify hazards (Section 3.3.2)
• Implement an appropriate chemical storage and handling policy (Section 3.3.3)
• Create a chemical disposal policy, and train employees, to ensure safe and environmentally
friendly disposal in accordance with laws and regulations (Section 3.4)
• Establish a Mercury Task Force, and practice mercury spill response (Section 4.4.1)
• Replace mercury-containing products with alternatives (Section 4.4.1)
1 EPA. 2006. Case Study — Environmental, Health & Safety Issues in One New England Public High School, Summary 1996.
Available at http://www.epa.gov/regionl/assistance/schools/health.html [Accessed March 24, 2006].
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Acknowledgements and Disclaimer i
Summary ii
Chapter I: Importance of Mercury and Chemical Management for School
Administrators and Teachers 1
1.1 Overview and Organization of Participant Materials 1
1.2 Susceptibility of Children to Mercury and Chemical Hazards 2
1.3 Why You Should Be Concerned 3
1.4 Activity 1: Interactive Analysis of School Chemical Accident Case Studies 6
Chapter 2: Hazardous Chemicals and Equipment in Schools 7
2.1 Chemicals and Equipment of Concern 7
2.2 Chemical Categories 8
2.3 Where Chemicals and Equipment Are Found in Schools 10
2.4 Activity 2: Identifying Chemical Hazards 12
Chapter 3: Policies and Actions for School Administrators and Teachers 13
3.1 raising Awareness 13
3.2 Safer Alternatives 15
3.3 Safe Management of Chemicals 18
3.4 Chemical Disposal 23
3.5 Activity 3: Brainstorming on School Polices and Actions 25
Chapter 4: Be Smart About Mercury 26
4.1 Mercury Basics 27
4.2 Mercury Sources and Uses 27
4.3 Mercury Exposure and Health Impacts 32
4.4 What Can We Do About Mercury? 32
4.5 Activity 4: Mercury Spill Role-Playing 36
Chapter 5: Conclusions 37
Appendix A. Example of a Material Safety Data Sheet for Mercury Sulfide 38
Appendix B: Chemical Pictures 45
Appendix C: Pollution Prevention Checklist 47
Appendix D: Green Chemistry Experiments 48
Appendix E: Chemicals that are More Hazardous than Educational 55
Appendix F: Commercial Equivalents of Common Laboratory Chemicals 58
Appendix G: Sample Monthly Chemical Management Checklist 61
Appendix H. Conducting a School Chemical Inventory 62
Appendix I. Guidelines for Safe Storage of Chemicals 64
Appendix J. Procedure for Safe Cleanup of a Mercury Spill in Homes and Schools 65
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
-------
Schools often contain chemicals and
products in classrooms, laboratories, and
storage closets that can pose a health hazard
to students and teachers. One chemical that
is especially toxic for children is mercury,
which can be found in some thermometers,
batteries, fluorescent lamps, and a variety of
other products. Sometimes, pure elemental
mercury or mercury compounds can be
found in chemistry classrooms, which has
resulted in serious contamination and
mercury poisoning in some schools.
Teachers and students are not always aware
of the hazards posed by certain chemicals
and products. In other cases, the hazards
are known, but there is a lack of suitable
alternative chemicals, products, and waste
management practices.
Ensuring that these chemicals and products
are managed properly will help school
administrators to: safeguard the health and
safety of students and school employees;
avoid disposal expenses and costly school
closures associated with spills and emergency
incidents; maintain a sense of trust between
the school and the surrounding community;
and prevent damage to the environment.
School districts need solid, useful, specific
recommendations and information on
responsible chemical and mercury
management to facilitate the establishment of
sound district-level policies and procedures.
This document is intended to aid school
teachers, administrators, and district
personnel, particularly at the high school and
college levels, in reducing dangerous chemical
and mercury hazards in schools. Designed as
a "Participant's Manual" to be used as part of
a "Chemical and Mercury Management in
Schools Training," this document focuses on
the policies and programs needed at the
school and district level for safe and
sustainable chemical and mercury
management practices. The goal is to
minimize the incidence of chemical spills,
exposures, and emergency scenarios in
schools. Parents and others in the
community who are interested in school
health and safety policies also may use this
booklet to determine whether their children's
schools are effectively minimizing potential
exposure to dangerous chemicals and
products.
This Participant's Manual is organized as
follows:
• 1 explains the susceptibility of
children to mercury and other chemical
hazards, and why school teachers and
administrators should be concerned. It
also provides examples from Southeast
Asia and the United States (U.S.) of
mercury and other chemical accidents and
their impacts.
• 2 provides an overview of the
various classes of hazardous chemicals and
products of concern found in schools, and
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
M
-------
where these chemicals and products of
concern might commonly be found.
* 3 presents recommendations for
school administrators and teachers to take
specific actions to raise awareness,
promote alternatives, safely manage
existing chemicals, and properly dispose of
chemicals.
• 4 discusses mercury in the
environment, health effects, and actions
related to mercury in schools.
• 5 presents conclusions.
• The provide specific
examples that can be used to establish
policies and procedures that schools may
use to facilitate the implementation of the
recommendations in this manual.
By reading this manual and participating in
the training activities, participants will be able
to:
1. Understand the need for responsible
chemical and mercury management in
schools.
2. Develop or revise school policies to
incorporate basic steps to prevent and
minimize the incidence of chemical spills,
exposures, and emergency scenarios in
schools.
3. Support broader district-level efforts to
raise awareness of chemical and mercury
safety in schools, promote alternatives,
and engage in proper waste management.
Up until the completion of adolescence
(around age 19), children have an increased
risk from environmental hazards compared
to that of adults. Such environmental
hazards include those created by improper
chemical and mercury management in the
school environment, where many youth
spend a large portion of their time. Among
other reasons, this is because children often
have higher exposures to pollutants in air,
water, and food. Because children are
growing and developing, they go through
specific "critical windows of vulnerability"
during which exposure to certain hazards can
alter normal body function and structure.2
Further, children today have a longer life
expectancy than earlier generations, and
therefore have longer to live with damage
from toxic chemicals. Finally, children are
"politically powerless," and thus must rely
on adults to protect them from toxic
environmental agents.3
2 Wodd Health Organization, Training Package for
the Health Sector, Children Are Not Little Adults, August
2006.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
To add to the particular vulnerability of
children, environmental health and chemical
safety problems are magnified in developing
countries and countries in transition. There
are many reasons for this, including:
• Unsafe use of chemicals — due to lack of
information on risks and education on
their safe and wise use, and prevailing
illiteracy in some areas;
• Increasing pollution and uncontrolled use
of chemicals — due to lack of appropriate
regulatory measures or the impossibility of
enforcing them (for example, because of
lack of personnel, controls, and
surveillance);
• Focus on urgent, immediate health
priorities rather than longer-term or
broader-scale environmental exposures
• Additional factors such as malnutrition,
infectious diseases, and poverty; and
• Discouragement because the
environmental problems appear to be
too large to solve.4
This Participant's Manual on mercury and
chemical management in schools focuses on
the issues of lack of information on risks, and
the need for education on safe chemical use
and disposal. This Participant's Manual is a
step toward raising awareness on the broader
issues of environmental health and chemical
safety for children and youth.
There are five key reasons why school
teachers and administrators should be
concerned about mercury and chemical
management in their schools:
3 Wodd Health Organization, Training Package for
the Health Sector, Children Are Not Little Adults,
August 2006.
World Health Organization, Training Package for the
Health Sector, Children and Chemicals, August 2006.
1.
be The
costs of responding to chemical incidents
can reach hundreds of thousands of U.S.
dollars (or several million Thai Baht) or
more at a single school. In addition to
response costs, improper chemical waste
management can result in fines and
increased insurance premiums in some
countries.
2.
to
Students' bodily systems are
still developing; they eat more, drink
more, and breathe more in proportion to
their body size; and their behavior can
expose them more to chemicals than
adults.
3. It
as a or
to
School incidents
can lead to increased parental and
community concern, negative publicity,
and embarrassment to the school and
school district.
4.
in
in a
Schools can be closed for days,
weeks, or even months as a result of
an improperly cleaned-up chemical
incident, such as the breakage of a
mercury thermometer, especially when
spilled chemicals are accidentally spread
throughout the school.
5.
to
and spills, which inflict
damage upon the environment where
students, teachers, staff, and parents live
and work. Improper chemical discharges
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
into sanitary sewer lines or on-site waste
treatment systems (including septic tanks)
can have adverse effects on rivers,
streams, and groundwater. Improper
waste segregation and management can
result in direct exposure of communities
to toxic chemicals, whether through
fumes from trash burning, direct contact
to waste pickers, or contamination of
nearby soils and water.
A safe school environment that prevents
harm to students and protects school
employees from dangerous chemicals must
be promoted. Responsible chemical
management is likely to lead to improved
learning in the classroom and improved
overall health of the environment and the
community. The following case examples
of recent mercury and chemical accidents at
schools around the world demonstrate the
need for increased attention to proper
mercury and chemical management in
schools:
to
lit School
During the evening of 16 February 2006, the
University of the Philippines, Manila National
Poison Management and Control Center
(UP/NPMCC) received a call from a young
person complaining of numbness, redness,
and pain in the extremities. Recognizing the
symptoms of acute mercury poisoning, the
UP/NPMCC traced the exposure back to a
mercury spill earlier that day in a classroom
at St. Andrew's School located in Paranaque
City, Republic of the Philippines (RP). After
the extent of the spill was recognized, a team
of local and national public health personnel
took appropriate precautions to protect
student health by closing the school and
examining other potentially exposed students.
Between 20 and 22 February 2006, 203
students and faculty were evaluated for acute
mercury exposure, and ten students were
admitted to the Philippines General Hospital.
After two contractors hired to clean up the
spill were not able to fully remove the hazard,
the RP Secretary of Health formally invited a
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
(U.S. EPA) team to the Philippines to
provide technical guidance for the
remediation of the mercury spill. The U.S.
EPA team assisted the school, contractor,
and local and national government officials
in determining the extent of mercury
contamination and conducting appropriate
abatement procedures. Before the school
was reopened, the RP/U.S. EPA team
monitored mercury vapor levels in the air to
ensure that the levels were below recognized
safe criteria.5
A at
IXC, USA
On 2 October 2003, the Washington, D.C.
Fire Department Hazardous Materials
(Hazmat) Unit responded to a surprising
emergency call from Ballou High School.
What the Hazmat Unit found that afternoon
proved to be the beginning of a long,
exhausting search for and clean up of an
elemental mercury spill. By the time the
Hazmat Unit and public health officials
arrived, it was too late to contain all the spills;
varying amounts of mercury were found in
the classrooms, gymnasium, and cafeteria.
In addition, students unknowingly carried
mercury through the streets, onto city and
school buses, and into their homes,
broadening the potential area of mercury
contamination. As a result of the spill, Ballou
High School was closed for 35 days and more
than 200 homes were tested for mercury
contamination.6
5 Final Report, Republic of the Philippines and
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Collaborative
Mercury Spill Response, St. Andrews School Mercury
Spill Assessment and Removal La Huerta, Paranaque City,
Philippines, 20-25 May 2006.
6 For additional information, see EPA's Superfund
Featured News Article, http://www.epa.gov/
superfund/news/mercury.htm
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Am lit a. Science
Class at a New City,
USA
On the morning of 16 January 2008, fire and
emergency workers responded to a chemical
accident at Somers High School, located in
Westchester County, near New York City.
During a science class, a student had dropped
a bottle containing bromine, a corrosive
liquid chemical that can harm the respiratory
system if it is inhaled. The bottle broke and
released approximately 90 milliliters of
bromine onto the floor of the classroom.
Bromine is very volatile, and fumes quickly
spread into nearby hallways and classrooms,
causing firefighters to evacuate the school as
a safety precaution. The school was closed
for one day due to the spill, and 11 students
were treated at a local hospital for exposure
to bromine.7
Bromine liquid and vapor
in a round-bottom flask.
A
On 22 February, 2008, the Boise Fire
Hazardous Materials Unit (Hazmat) received
a call from St. Joseph's Catholic School in
Boise, Idaho. A 6 ounce jar that was nearly
full of mercury had been dropped and
broken. The students were evacuated and
sent home. Boise Hazmat located 3 students
who had reportedly been in the vicinity when
the spill occurred, and had their clothing
placed in plastic bags and returned to the
school. Boise Hazmat isolated the room,
had the heating and air-conditioning system
turned off, and cleaned up the visible spilled
mercury using a mercury vacuum and
mercury amalgam kit. Boise Hazmat
coordinated with U.S. EPA to deploy
mercury detection equipment to verify that
the cleanup had achieved safe levels of
mercury prior to re-occupancy. U.S. EPA
and Boise Hazmat determined that additional
cleanup was necessary involving the removal
of 60 floor tiles in the area of the spill and
other hot spots. The bags of clothing from
the 3 children that were potentially exposed
were examined, one of which was found to
generate high levels of mercury vapor.
U.S. EPA and Boise Hazmat checked the car
and house of the child with contaminated
clothing, although no further mercury
contamination was found. Authorities used
a mercury vacuum and mercury amalgam to
remove any residual mercury. The classroom
was heated to approximately 35°C (95°F)
overnight, and then ventilated with a blower
and windows open to clear out remaining
mercury vapor. Air sampling confirmed
that the classroom was then safe for re-
occupancy. All mercury-contaminated
materials were placed in a large sealed
container in a locked area at the school until
local authorities could make arrangements for
proper hazardous waste disposal.8
7 Corcoran, Terence and Chris Serico, "Somers High
expected to open today after chemical spill caused
evacuation," The Journal News, 17 January 2008,
http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/200 80
117/NEWS01/801170397/1027/NEWS11.
8 United States Environmental Protection Agency, On Scene
Coordinator, St. Joseph's Catholic school Mercury Spill,
http://www.epaosc.net/site_profile.asp?site_id=3869,
Accessed March 25, 2008.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
The case studies in the previous section raise many issues about the causes of mercury and other
chemical accidents at schools, how quickly contamination can spread, ways to prevent accidents, and
proper ways to respond. This activity is designed to generate discussion around these issues for the
case studies.
Break into groups of 3 to 5 participants and answer the following questions for each case study:
• What could the school administrators and teachers have done to prevent the accident?
• How would you have handled this situation if you were the teacher in charge?
• Could the emergency responders and government officials have done anything different to help
contain the accident?
• Have you ever experienced a similar chemical accident at your school?
The best way to deal with an accident is to prevent it in the first place. However, because accidents
do happen, schools need to have established plans and procedures to deal with accidents
appropriately. Teachers need to know how to quickly recognize the potential dangers of an
accident, remove students from danger, and clean up or coordinate with authorities for appropriate
cleanup. (Spill cleanup is further addressed in Section 3.4 of this Participant's Manual.)
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
More than 75,000 chemical substances are in
commercial use today. Many of these
chemical substances are considered toxic or
otherwise hazardous to humans and other
living beings. Toxic chemicals are associated
with a variety of serious health problems,
including cancer, brain and nervous system
disorders, reproductive disorders, organ
damage, as well as asthma. Mercury in
particular is associated with damage to the
central nervous system, among other effects,
as further discussed in Chapter 4. Toxic
chemicals that are long-lasting in the
environment and become concentrated
(or "bioaccumulate") through the food chain
can make exposure during childhood and
adolescence especially dangerous. Chemicals
also can irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and
throat. Some chemicals pose significant
safety hazards, such as fire or explosion risks.
Many hazardous chemicals can be found in
school facilities. Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS) are comprehensive fact sheets
prepared by chemical manufacturers that
describe the physical properties, health
effects, and other characteristics of chemicals,
as well as procedures for handling, storing,
and disposing of these substances. An
example of an MSDS for mercury sulfide
is given in Appendix A. Chemical
manufacturers should supply MSDSs along
with each shipment of chemicals delivered
to your school. MSDSs can also be found
on the internet in a variety of languages.
For example, the Merck Thailand chemical
company has posted MSDSs in Thai on the
internet at http://www.merck.co.th/
cn/scrviccs/chcmical_msds.asp. The proper
use and management of these substances,
as well as the products that contain them, are
critical to maintaining a healthy atmosphere
for school occupants and the surrounding
environment. The term "hazardous
chemicals" may include (but is not limited to)
the following:
• Laboratory chemicals used or stored in
science laboratories and preparation areas;
• Art supplies, including paints, stains, inks,
glazes, and photographic processing
chemicals, used in (visual and performing)
art and shop;
• Cleaning products utilized by custodial,
cafeteria, and maintenance staff;
• Pesticides and fertilizers;
• Paints, solvents, fuels, degreasers, and
lubricants used in building operation and
maintenance;
• Oils, fuels, paints, and other chemicals
used to maintain and repair equipment for
transportation, school maintenance, and
shop classes;
• Inks, solvents, and adhesives used for
printing in school offices; and
• Chemicals used to treat water associated
with drinking water and swimming pools.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
The risks associated with exposure to any
chemical are dependent on a variety of
factors, including the chemical's hazard level
(degree of flammability, toxicity, etc.), the
route of exposure (for example, absorbed
through skin, inhaled, consumed, injected),
and the duration of exposure.
Chemicals can be grouped based on the type
of hazard they pose. Understanding the
different types of chemicals in a school is
important for developing an effective
chemical management policy. Hazardous
substances in schools may fall into one
or more of the following categories:
flammables, oxidizers, explosives, low level
hazard, corrosives (the majority of which in
high school laboratories are acids and bases),
severe chronic hazard, poison, and
environmental hazard. The United Nations
(UN) has developed an internationally
accepted set of symbols (Globally
Harmonized System of Classification and
Labeling of Chemicals9). Individual countries
may have developed specific definitions for
each of these categories; however, the
hazards are generally described by the
categories in Table 1, along with example
safety measures. (Refer to Section 3.3.3 of
this manual for further information on how
the category of a chemical affects where it
should be stored, and what combinations of
chemical categories to avoid storing
together.)
9 United Nations Economic Commission for Europe,
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling
of Chemicals, 2005,
lllJ|)i/j^;ywwAlliecjejDr^ revQ.1/
01 files e.hlml.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
1,
Flammable
Chemicals that have the potential to catch
fire rapidly and burn in the air. Liquids,
gases, and solids (in the form of dusts) can
be flammable and/or explosive.
Examples: thinner;
(acetone, acid,
hexane);
• Do not use near an open flame
• Store in "flammables only"
storage cabinet
Solid or liquid substance (or mixture of
substances) which is in itself capable by
chemical reaction of producing gas at such
a temperature and pressure and at such a
speed as to cause damage to the
surroundings.
Examples: hydrazine, nitroglycerine,
ammonium nitrate
Do not use near sparks or static
electricity
Wear face shield or use glove box
Transport with no sudden
movements or jostling
Corrosive
Chemicals that can burn, irritate, or destroy
living tissue or corrode metal through direct
chemical action. This category includes
strong acids and bases (alkalines), as well
as dehydrating agents and oxidants.
Examples: sulfuric, nitric, and hydrochloric
ammonium, and sodium
hydroxides (bases); hydrogen peroxide or
chlorine (oxidants)
Wear safety glasses
Wear a long-sleeved shirt
Wear long pants
Wear closed-toe shoes
Wear gloves
Chemicals that cause or contribute to the
combustion of other materials by yielding
oxygen.
Examples: chlorates; nitrites;
peroxides; picric (crystallized); ethyl
(crystallized);
(e.g., sodium)
Do not use near an open flame
Wear safety glasses
Wear a long-sleeved shirt
Wear long pants
Wear closed-toe shoes
Wear gloves
Chemicals that, even in small amounts, can
injure living tissue when ingested, inhaled,
or absorbed into the skin.
Examples: mercury, arsenic, lead,
asbestos, cyanide
• No eating or drinking!
• Use a respirator
• Wear safety glasses
• Wear a long-sleeved shirt
• Wear long pants
• Wear closed-toe shoes
Wear gloves
Low Level
Hazard
Chemicals that are harmful if swallowed,
inhaled, or in contact with the skin. This
category also includes substances that
cause eye, skin, or respiratory irritation.
Examples: ammonium ferrous
• No eating or drinking!
• Wear safety glasses
• Wear a long-sleeved shirt
• Wear long pants
• Wear closed-toe shoes
• Wear gloves
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Severe
Chronic
Hazard
Chemicals that are known or suspected
carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive
toxins, or systemic target organ toxins.
This category also includes any substances
that are aspiration hazards, meaning they
may cause allergic/asthma symptoms or
breathing difficulties when inhaled.
Examples: benzene, carbon
(carcinogens); acrylamide (mutagen);
compounds, mercury compounds
(reproductive toxins)
No eating or drinking!
Use a respirator or face mask
Wear safety glasses
Wear a long-sleeved shirt
Wear long pants
Wear closed-toe shoes
Wear gloves
Chemicals that have acute or chronic
toxicity toward aquatic life.
Examples: dioxin, DDT
Environmental
Hazard
• Do not pour excess down drain
or sink!
• Do not dump of waste in storm
drain or sewer!
Chemicals and equipment can be found
throughout a school in science laboratories,
maintenance areas, vocational shops, art
classrooms, and offices. They are used in
both the maintenance of schools and the
curriculum taught. In the absence of
chemicals and equipment, schools would lack
certain fundamental tools needed to educate
students. Despite their useful purposes,
chemicals and equipment (particularly
mercury-containing equipment) can be
dangerous to students and staff when
managed improperly. Universities and high
schools usually have larger inventories and
more hazardous chemicals and equipment
than middle and elementary schools.
Chemicals may have been purchased by the
school or brought in by employees or
students for their personal use.
Table 2 lists some specific locations in which
chemicals and products of concern might be
found in a typical school. Please keep in
mind that this list is by no means all-
inclusive, and that chemicals, when used
appropriately, can be important to the
educational process.
no
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
2. of for in
•
Science
be
to as
Technical
Education!
Art
Studios
Custodial/
Maintenance
Areas
Kitchens/
Cafeterias
Photography
Laboratories
Concentrated Acids (undiluted)
J^pjncejTtra^^
Solvents
Oxidize rs
^Cornpressed gases
Toxins
Mercury Thermometers, Barometers, Molecular
Motion Demonstration Devices
Solvents (used in paints, paint thinners,
J§dJ}ejsiyes^^
Cleaning supplies/detergents
Compressed gases
Fuels, transmission, and brake fluids
Solvents (used in paints, inks, paint thinners,
j3djTej;iyj^Jaa|uej^^
Pottery clear coating glaze
Pigments for paints and coatings
J^iyj^ay^^
Acids for etching
Cleaning supplies/detergents
Drain cleaners (alkaline)
JDram__cleanersj[aci^
Pesticides (including disinfectants/sterilizers)
Paint thinners
Solvents (used in paints, paint thinners,
jadjhj|sjyj3s^^
JiA/aJljejJt^
Pesticides (including disinfectants/sterilizers)
Refrigerants
^Cleamn^sugglies/detergents
Medical equipment
Intensifiers/reducers
Developers
Stop baths and fixer
Hydrochloric acid
Nitric acid
J^odjun^^
l_____p.
JMeMyJ^ejr^
Lead nitrate
Oxygen^^^
Mercury
Cyanides
Chromates (VI)
Lead salts
JMercuryjsalts
Mercury
Petroleum naphtha
JTju£pentme
Phosphoric acid
Sodium silicate
Acetylene
JSHtrogen
Gasoline
Toluene
JVHneraljyDints
Lead
^OtJTejjTejy^nTTetals^^^
Cadmium
Manganese
Chromium
Silica
Nitric acid
JH^drochjoric^acid
2-Butoxyethanol
JQ1spj|M£njp^
Potassium hydroxide
Sulfuric acid
Permethrin
^Sp^]urnJ]3[pocJT|orite^^
Toluene
Xylene
Chlorine tablets
Permethrin
JBo^dji^nJh^^
Freon
Ammonia
^MlIMIliMIIL!]ldloxide^_
Mercury (thermometers
and blood pressure
j]ianometers)
Potassium dichromate
JH^drochjoric^acid
Hydroquinone
Lactic acid
Acetic acid
Chrome alum
(potassium chromium
j5u|fate)
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
111
-------
School
Grounds/
Administrative
Offices
Pesticides
De-icers
Fertilizers
Correction fluid
Solvents (used in
paints, inks
!rsjj3nrnej]^
2,4-D
Sodium chloride
paint thinners,
jJndjJtJhejj)^^
Ammonium nitrate
Ethylene glycol
Trichloroethane
Methyl ethyl ketone
Petroleum distillates
This activity demonstrates that there are many types of mercury and chemical products found
throughout schools. Even experienced chemistry teachers may be surprised by potentially hazardous
chemicals that are found outside of their classrooms (for example, in janitor maintenance closets).
In other cases, students bring items to school that unknowingly contain hazardous ingredients.
The following is a sample list of items that may be found in schools:
• Laboratory chemicals (e.g., acids, bases, solvents, metals, salts)
• Laboratory equipment (e.g., mercury thermometers, mercury barometers)
• Industrial arts or "shop" classes (e.g., inks, degreasers)
• Art supplies (e.g., paints, photographic chemicals)
• Pesticides and fertilizers
• Maintenance supplies and equipment (e.g., drain cleaners, ammonia, bleach, floor stripping
products, paints, oils, boiler cleaners, fuels)
• Health care equipment (e.g., mercury thermometers)
• Common household items that students or teachers may bring to school, such as batteries, light-
up tennis shoes, and skin whitening creams.
The photographs in Appendix B show various chemicals, some of which may be found in schools.
Break into groups of three participants, and do the ..:;
following:
Classify each of these chemicals according
to the UN Globally Harmonized System of
Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
categories listed in Table 1 of this manual.
Suggest appropriate safety measures that you
would require of your students (and follow
yourself) if they were working with the chemical.
Examples of safety measures are listed in Table 1
of this Participant's Manual.
The to are
1. are in
laboratories.
2. Different
for
112
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
School administrators and teachers have an
important role to play in reducing the hazards
of mercury and chemicals in schools, by
taking specific actions and adopting policies
that promote chemical safety in schools.
This chapter focuses on the actions that
school administrators and teachers can take
to: (1) raise awareness on chemical hazards,
(2) explore safer alternatives, (3) safely
manage existing chemicals, and (4) safely
dispose of chemicals.
Raising awareness at the national, regional,
community, and school levels on mercury
and chemical safety is critical to promoting a
safer environment for everyone. In this
manual we focus on raising awareness at the
school and school district level; these actions
will be most effective when complemented
by broader community, regional, and national
efforts to raise awareness on mercury and
chemical safety. To institute good chemical
management policies, school administrators
need to set the tone that chemical
management is important by assigning roles
and responsibilities for implementing proper
safety and chemical hygiene practices.
Guidelines are provided below that
policymakers at the district level and school
administrators should implement in order to
initiate responsible chemical management
practices in their schools.
• Establish or confirm that your district
has committed budget and staff
resources for chemical management.
When schools consider their costs for
chemicals, they generally consider only the
purchase price. Each stage of chemical
and product management, however,
has associated costs of labor (e.g., training
chemical hygiene officer and other staff),
materials, equipment, and disposal, as well
as costs of storage space and potential
liability when responsible chemical
management is not practiced.
Design and communicate a chemical
management policy. School district
administrators and principals need to
establish an overall policy stating a strong
commitment to responsible chemical
management, including implementation
of the policies and actions defined in this
document. The policy should be
communicated to all by the highest level
of management. Strong support from the
administration, combined with adequate
resources, will enable responsible chemical
management.
Appoint a chemical hygiene officer.
The chemical hygiene officer is someone
who is qualified by training and experience
to provide technical guidance and
leadership in the development and
implementation of the chemical
management policy. The position
description or job classification of a
chemical hygiene officer will vary across
school districts; however, in all cases, they
should be trained to provide chemical
management leadership to the school.
Designate a team to oversee the
chemical management program at
your school. This team should consist of
teachers, janitorial staff, and maintenance
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
113
-------
personnel to help oversee the chemical
management program at your school
described in the sections that follow.
Team members should be trained by the
chemical hygiene officer (and reinforced
at least annually). At a minimum, team
members should understand physical/
chemical properties and potential health
effects of chemicals, chemical
compatibility, applicable environmental
regulations and compliance issues, and
waste management procedures of the
school. You may also consider involving
students as part of the process.
Develop a chemical management
awareness training program for school
staff and students. This training
program should address how school
employees and students are to be properly
trained to handle certain chemicals and
products and how to respond to a
chemical spill or release, to understand
the hazards of these materials, and to
understand the types of liability associated
with accidents involving chemical usage
in schools. Targeted employees should
include school management, custodial and
maintenance personnel, and appropriate
teaching staff. The training program
should include a review of the chemical
management policy, and approved
products listing. The training program
may be based on portions of this manual.
Training sessions should be documented
in a log for each employee and repeated
periodically (for example, on an annual
basis) to serve as a refresher.
Utilize existing community resources.
Contact a local health department,
environmental management agency,
hazardous waste agency, or chemical
supplier to provide a training session
with school employees that raises their
awareness of using less toxic alternatives
to certain chemicals, chemical
substitutions, green purchasing, and
performing small-scale experiments.
Merck Thailand conducts a "Lefs Care Safety Camp"
for final-year chemistry and chemical engineering
university students.10
To ail of
a
for
of
in
The
of
»
•
a reh
»
10 Merck, Health Safety and Environment,
ll|j|)i//_www.jjiej;ck._ciy^^
Accessed March 31, 2008.
114
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Seeking out alternatives to mercury-
containing equipment and hazardous
chemicals, and identifying ways to minimize
chemical use, are key aspects of responsible
chemical management in schools. For
chemicals, schools should focus on pollution
prevention and green chemistry. For
mercury-containing products, such as
thermometers, schools should focus on
obtaining alternative products without
mercury. Green chemistry and pollution
prevention have many direct environmental,
safety, and financial benefits for schools, as
demonstrated by the discussion below.
Pollution prevention (sometimes referred to
as "P2") is defined as preventing or reducing
pollution at the source, whenever feasible,
and other practices that replace or eliminate
the creation of pollutants. An example of
pollution prevention would be using smaller
quantities of (or environmentally benign
substitutes for) chemical products used for
grounds maintenance or cleaning. Because
minimizing waste usually results from
minimizing input materials, schools will save
money up front with pollution prevention.
The following are examples of guidelines that
can be used to reduce or eliminate the
generation of chemical pollutants and wastes
(see also Sections 3.2.2 and 3.2.3 for
additional pollution prevention guidelines).
• Establish a pollution prevention
program to help your school minimize
the amount of chemical waste generated
throughout your school. The program
may consist of developing school-wide
and departmental annual waste reduction
goals. The program may also include
pollution prevention education sessions
for teachers, maintenance staff, and
students emphasizing the importance of
substituting hazardous chemicals with
chemicals that are less hazardous and
scaling down the volume of chemicals
used in classroom experiments and
maintenance applications. Appendix C
contains a Pollution Prevention Checklist
that your school may wish to adopt,
providing suggestions for material
substitution, purchasing/inventory
control, process efficiency,
recovery/reuse/recycling, and
innovation.11
• Contact your government's waste
management or pollution prevention
department for assistance in conducting
a pollution prevention opportunity
assessment to find programs available in
your area as well as the issues affecting
your part of the country.
• Minimize the use of pesticides, a term
that refers not only to insecticides but also
to herbicides, fungicides, and various other
substances used to control pests. Children
may be especially sensitive to the health
risks posed by pesticides because their
bodies are growing and developing; they
may also have greater exposure to
pesticides because of their increased hand-
to-mouth behaviors. A form of pollution
prevention, integrated pest management, is
an effective and environmentally sensitive
approach to pest control that relies on
common sense strategies to disrupt the
life cycles of pests, such as eliminating
standing water where mosquitoes can
breed. Contact your local health
department for guidance on balancing the
benefits and potentially harmful effects of
pesticides at schools.
• Minimize hazards from cleaning
products. Because it is customary in
some countries for the students to assist
with daily cleaning of the classroom,
teachers need to ensure that the cleaning
products utilized do not pose chemical
risks to the students. There are some very
11 Ohio EPA, Laboratory Pollution Prevention checklist
of lab opportunities, hil|)i//wg\v,£pa.Slaie,.<>lLHS/
ocapr)/p2/labp2checklisl.pdf. Accessed March 25, 2008.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
115
-------
simple alternative cleaners that you can
make yourself, without the need to
purchase expensive (and potentially
dangerous) cleaning products:12> 13
For general cleaning of countertops,
floors, walls, and upholstery, try one of the
following:
- Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in
1 quart warm water; or
- Use a mixture of 1 /2 cup vinegar and
1 cup to 1 quart of warm water; or
- Mix vinegar and salt together for a
good surface cleaner
For an abrasive cleaner, use baking soda
or a nonchlorinated scouring powder.
For glass cleaner, mix 1 tablespoon of
vinegar or lemon juice in 1 quart of water,
then spray on and use newspaper to wipe
dry.
For furniture polish, mix 1 teaspoon of
lemon juice in 1 pint of mineral or
vegetable oil, then wipe onto furniture.
be to
is
is a to
without
The
of to
For
to
to
or of
at
the
for
to
impact.
Forecast of Cheimeal Use Reductions
toynts Used Before
*-!' Purchasing Co
12 Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, The
Hazardless Home Handbook, A Guide to Hazardous
Household Products and Effective Alternatives,
http://www.mctio-rcgion.oi;g/filcs/liTiag/ha2 book.pdf.
Accessed March 25, 2008.
13 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Consumer's
Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste, Source Reduction
Alternatives Around the Home,
llli|X//_WAV W...CP tj. PQl^
tiw/rediice/calbook/all.hLm. Accessed March 25, 2008.
•---{.- Improve Hidin
----{' Work C flanges
.-{-• Other Changes
116
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
One form of pollution prevention is "green
chemistry," which seeks to reduce the
potentially hazardous effects of chemicals
by using fewer and less toxic chemicals in
experiments compared to traditional
curricula. Microscale chemistry and small-
scale chemistry are similar concepts that
involve scaling down the quantities of
chemicals required for science experiments.
In situations where green or small-scale
alternatives are not feasible, a demonstration
by the instructor may be a feasible substitute
for having an entire class conduct individual
experiments with hazardous or toxic
chemicals. Each of these options requires a
smaller amount of chemicals than traditional
experiments, thus reducing costs to the
school.
The main principles of green chemistry
include the following:14
• Prevent waste: design chemical syntheses
so there is little or no waste to treat or
clean up.
• Use safer chemicals and products: use
substances that are effective, yet have little
or no toxicity.
• Perform less hazardous chemical
experiments: perform experiments that
use and generate substances with little or
no toxicity to humans and the
environment. For example, Appendix D
contains two examples of green chemistry
experiments, dealing with the principles of
acid/base chemistry.
• Use renewable reagents and resources:
renewable reagents and resources are
derived from agricultural products or the
wastes of other processes; they are
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Green
Chemistry: Basic Information
http://www.cpa.gov/gTccnchcniislTy/pubs/whats gc.
html (1/2/08); adapted from Anastas, P. T. and
Warner, J. C. 1988. Green Chemistry: Theory and
Practice. Oxford University Press: New York, p. 30.
preferable to depleting reagents and
resources, which are derived from fossil
fuels such as petroleum, natural gas, and
coal.
• Focus on catalytic reactions instead of
stoichiometric reactions: one way to
minimize waste is by performing catalytic
reactions. Because catalysts are not
consumed in a chemical reaction, they can
be used repeatedly, reducing waste.
• Avoid chemical derivatives: when
possible, avoid using blocking or
protecting groups in organic syntheses;
derivatives use additional reagents and
generate waste.
• Increase energy efficiency: perform
chemical reactions that run at ambient
temperature and pressure whenever
possible.
• Design chemicals and products to
degrade after use: design chemical
products to break down to benign
substances after use so that they do not
accumulate in the environment.
• Analyze in real time to prevent
pollution: include in-process, real-time
monitoring and control during chemical
syntheses to minimize or eliminate the
formation of unwanted byproducts.
In some cases, the educational utility of a
chemical can be eclipsed by the hazards it
poses to human health and the environment.
Chemicals that are unsuitable for schools
include strong oxidizers, corrosives, toxics,
carcinogens, and mutagens. Appendix E lists
some examples of chemicals that are more
hazardous than educational. Often, common
laboratory chemicals have commercial
equivalents that are available in safer
concentrations than the pure substances sold
by chemical manufacturers. Appendix F lists
some examples of chemicals that can be
found in grocery, drug, and hardware stores.
Although commercially available chemicals
are generally safer than their concentrated
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
117
-------
counterparts, remember that all chemicals
can be dangerous if they are used without
proper safety precautions.
Mercury, sometimes called quicksilver, is a
particularly toxic chemical that deserves
special attention by school teachers and
administrators. Mercury is a very dense,
silver liquid element that is commonly found
in thermometers and barometers in school
laboratories. In addition, mercuric salts are
sometimes used in general chemistry and
inorganic chemistry experiments. Although
mercury has been used extensively in school
laboratories in the past, its extremely toxic
effects on human health have led some
schools to replace mercury thermometers and
mercury compounds in experiments with
non-toxic alternatives in recent years.
Because mercury is so toxic to human health,
cleaning up accidental mercury spills from
broken thermometers or manometers can be
very costly for schools. As a result, the
educational benefit of using mercury in the
classroom does not warrant the potential risk
of exposure to mercury.
Common classroom items that may contain
mercury include:
• Laboratory chemicals (e.g., mercury oxide,
mercury chloride, mercury sulfate,
mercury nitrate, mercury iodide)
• Thermometers
• Barometers
• Manometers
• Sling psychrometers
• Molecular motion demonstration devices
that contain elemental mercury.
In most cases, non-toxic equivalents are
available for items that traditionally contain
elemental mercury. Alcohol and mineral
spirit-filled laboratory thermometers provide
suitable accuracy for most laboratory
temperature-measurement applications.
Non-mercury barometer alternatives include
electronic digital gauges and aneroid
(for example, Bourdon tube, diaphragm,
piston or capsule) pressure gauges. For
classroom reactions that utilize mercury salts
as reagents, it is usually possible to substitute
an alternative but comparable experiment
that does not include mercury salts. Chapter
4 explains mercury toxicity and alternatives in
more detail.
Even with the practice of pollution prevention
and green chemistry, some chemicals will
inevitably remain on school grounds.
Responsible chemical management is critical to
controlling a variety of environmental, health,
and safety issues within any school. Knowing
what materials are present in your school and
how they are used, stored, and discarded will
enable you to understand the issues associated
with these substances. Properly recognizing
and controlling the hazards inherent to these
materials, wherever they are found in your
schools, will enhance your ability to create
a safe school with minimal environmental
liabilities and lawsuits. On the other hand,
failing to take necessary safety precautions
may put your school at increased risk of fire,
explosions, and spills that may result in
chemical exposure to students and school
personnel, harm to the environment, and
considerable clean-up costs to the school
district.
Safe chemical management begins with smart
purchase decisions that reduce unnecessary
purchases and give preference to safe,
environmentally friendly products. Once
products are on school grounds, a designated
school official should conduct regular
inventories, oversee proper storage, and
ensure safe handling and disposal. This
section provides guidance on each of these
aspects of safe management of chemicals
and equipment. Appendix G provides an
example of a monthly chemical management
checklist your school may wish to adopt.
118
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
I PCD) pn
on to
of
http://www.pcd.go.th/info
of
POLLUTION CONTBOi OtPARTMINT
Chemicals enter school systems through
regular purchases by teachers and facility
maintenance personnel, donations from local
industries, and chemical suppliers. Chemicals
have varying hazard levels; thus, the
determination to purchase should factor in
need, use, safety, environmental factors, and
chemical/product management lifecycle
costs. Remember, just because a chemical
can be purchased at your local hardware or
grocery store does not mean it is safe if
improperly used or stored.
Here are some suggestions of best
management practices to create a chemically
safer school environment:
• Establish a district-level chemical
purchasing policy that addresses how
chemicals and products containing
chemicals are entering a school, who is
using them, why they are being used, and
how they will need to be disposed.
Involve all teachers, maintenance and
custodial personnel, and other staff to
ensure that the chemical purchasing policy
meets educational and facility maintenance
needs while reducing the quantities and
toxicity of chemicals.
Establish an environmentally
preferable chemical screening process
to ensure that all chemicals and products
containing chemicals have been screened
for environmental, health, and safety
hazards prior to purchase, thus reducing
and/or eliminating hazardous chemicals.
The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
that should be provided by the chemical
supplier may be useful in this process.
Establish a district-approved
chemicals and products list, based on
less toxic or non-toxic alternatives to make
non-toxic implementation and
enforcement easier in your school. Only
allow procurement of approved chemicals.
For example, the Los Angeles Unified
School District's Chemical Hygiene
Program allows only approved chemicals
to be used in school laboratories.15
Teachers and other staff should be
strongly discouraged from bringing in
products on their own.
Investigate pollution prevention
and green chemistry options (see
Section 3.2) to determine whether certain
chemicals can be reduced in quantity or
eliminated entirely from science and art
classes.
Limit the quantity of chemicals
purchased to what will be used during
the current school year or can be fully
consumed under normal conditions within
the shelf life of the product. Another
concept is "just in time" purchasing in
which chemicals are purchased as needed
15 Los Angeles Unified School District's Chemical Hygiene
Program, li|j|)j/j^;ywwjiiusiiroel^^^^
Accessed 28 March 2008
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
119
-------
throughout the school year. These
purchasing methods reduce the costs and
management needs associated with excess
and expired chemicals.
• Consider disposal costs at time of
purchase. Many chemicals deteriorate
with time. The disposal cost for expired
materials may be 20 to 50 times the
original purchase price. The real cost of
chemicals should be regarded as the initial
purchase price plus any ultimate disposal
costs.16
Schools should exercise EXTREME
CAUTION when accepting chemical
donations, product samples, or promotional
products (e.g., do not accept chemicals more
useful for electroplating than for the teaching
of high school chemistry). Schools should
not give away chemicals to avoid the costs of
disposal.
An important part of responsible chemical
management is the creation of an accurate
chemical inventory that identifies the
quantities and physical locations of, as well as
the potential hazards associated with, all of
the chemicals used and stored in a school.
It also serves as a reference for school and
emergency personnel (for example, local fire
department) in the event of an emergency.
Furthermore, a chemical inventory, when
used to guide necessary purchases, can reduce
the costs and management needs associated
with excess chemicals, and can identify
inappropriate chemical storage practices.
Examples of unsafe chemical storage practices.17
(a) Ammonia and bleach cleaning products are
incompatible and should not be stored near each
other, especially in maintenance storage areas
or in hot boiler rooms where the bottles may
bulge or break, because mixing of these two
chemicals releases a toxic cloud of chlorine gas.
(b) Old and unlabelled chemicals in leaking containers
pose a hazard to students and school personnel.
Guidelines that schools and administrators
should follow in order to conduct an
inventory at their school are provided below.
16 Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, Pollution
Prevention Lab Sheet, liiJji:./Zwww,.ejiajJM£JjllJlS/
opp/Facll6 web.pdf. November 2005.
17 From "No More Methyl-Something": Improving
Management of Curriculum Chemicals in Schools", Maryann
Suero, USEPA, presentation at National Teachers
Association Regional Conference, November 10, 2005
120
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Conduct an inventory of all of the
chemicals and products containing
chemicals (e.g., mercury thermometers)
stored on-site, covering all sections of the
school including maintenance rooms and
closets, storage sheds, greenhouses, and all
classrooms. Engage all school staff who
will either be involved in conducting the
inventory, or will be having their
chemicals inventoried. Pre-packaged
science experiments or demonstration
kits should be included in the chemical
inventory. Conduct the inventory when
students are NOT in school. Refer to
Appendix H for instructions on
conducting an inventory.
Establish a policy that chemical
inventories be conducted and updated
annually, unless laws or regulations
require a more frequent schedule. Contact
your local environmental or health
department, industry partner, or chemical
supplier, or identify a responsible person
within the school who has training in
hazardous chemical management to assist
with the inventory.
Review other documents you may have
in schools in your district, such as a
chemical hygiene plan or hazard
communication plan, to ensure that
chemicals are consistently being managed,
stored, handled, and disposed of properly.
Review your approved chemicals and
products list. Chemicals and products not
on this list should be removed and
properly disposed of or recycled according
to applicable laws.
Conduct periodic cleanouts by
identifying and removing unnecessary
hazardous materials and expired chemicals
through appropriate recycling and/or
disposal methods. Existing accumulations
of outdated, unknown, poorly labeled,
improperly stored, or degraded chemicals,
and excessive quantities of hazardous
chemicals are present in many schools.
Chemical inventories should be conducted
prior to cleaning out chemicals from
schools. Again, contact your local
environmental or health department,
industry partner, chemical supplier, or
someone with technical qualifications to
identify potentially dangerous situations
and properly handle the chemicals. School
staff should not move very old chemicals
because of the extreme hazard they may
present.
U.S. has the
to
in
in the SC3
to
For
School leadership should recognize that
cleanout and accident prevention programs
are good investments for schools. Cleaning
up after a chemical incident is costly (can cost
over a million dollars (US$), cause closure of
schools, and relocation of students). School
cleanout programs are a relative bargain
(average cost of US $5,000 per school).
For example, compare the following two
approaches to mercury in schools:18
18 United States Environmental Protection Agency and
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Planning for
Environmental Health and Safety Issues in Schools,
liH|x/j/3V_w\v._e|)ji.^
oi)ls/|)dfs/|emaA|id£ Accessed March 28, 2008.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
121
-------
3. to in
Preadwe
Reactive
Total Cost
In a joint the Lab" 81
and
and and
for hazardous disposal.
A of mercury was at
one on a bad
publicity, and
clearvup and disposal costs.
US$30.000
US$30.000
In order to reduce the risk of chemical
accidents, administrators should familiarize
themselves with policies and procedures for
safe handling and storage of chemicals in
their schools. Products used in schools
should have an MSDS, be stored in their
original containers in a secure location, and
be correctly and clearly labeled. The
guidelines below outline some general steps
for safe handling and storage of chemicals in
schools.
• Establish a chemical storage policy
that addresses how chemicals should be
properly stored, labeled, and secured, as
well as who should have access to these
chemicals and chemical storage locations.
Chemicals should not be stored in areas
that are occupied by or accessible to
students, such as classrooms or restrooms.
Instead, they should be stored in a central,
secure location. In addition, many
chemicals are incompatible and should not
be stored together. Appendix I provides
guidelines for safe storage of chemicals.
• Conduct annual inspections of
classrooms, janitorial closets, and chemical
storage areas in your school to ensure the
integrity of chemicals and storage
structures. Spot inspections may be
performed periodically throughout the
school year. Engage maintenance staff in
these inspections if storage shelving or
locks are in need of updates or repair.
Create and maintain an up-to-date map of
the location and storage pattern of
chemical storage rooms and cabinets in
your school.
Inspect and test emergency equipment
(e.g., eyewash stations and safety showers)
as well as fume hoods and ventilation
systems/exhaust fans at least on an annual
basis. Engage maintenance staff in these
inspections if safety equipment is in need
of updates or repair. Establish protocols
for the upkeep of emergency equipment
and the associated maintenance records.
Work with a local chemical supplier
to ensure that you have MSDS
information for all chemicals on site.
Hazardous chemicals in schools should
be stored in accordance with MSDS
specifications. At a minimum, MSDS
information should be located in all
chemical storage rooms and cabinets and
in a central place within the school (away
from the chemicals), as well as a central
location for the school district.
Follow appropriate safety measures
when working with any chemical.
Standard safety measures include wearing
safety glasses, long-sleeved shirts, pants,
close-toed shoes, and gloves. Not all of
these measures may be necessary for every
chemical; check with the chemical
manufacturer or consult the chemical's
MSDS to determine the appropriate safety
measures, including the specific type of
gloves (e.g., latex, nitrile) to wear.
Create a written emergency response
plan for all chemicals and products. This
plan should describe what to do and
whom to contact in the event of a spill or
I 22
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
release, as well as the location of spill
management supplies and equipment
(e.g., spill kits, fire extinguishers) within
the school. The clean-up and response
plan should include a process for
communicating with students, parents,
teachers, and other staff about the
incident, as well as methods for preventing
accidents and exposures.
Spill clean-up materials should be available and
labeled. Citric acid may be used to neutralize base
spills, sodium bicarbonate may be used to neutralize
acid spills, and an absorbent material may be used for
organic spills.
to
A¥O1D of
•
or a
» on
shelves,
» on
if
• on
shelves.
* by
name,
*
chemicals.
• to or
in old
Hazardous wastes must be disposed of
in accordance with applicable laws and
regulations. Such requirements generally
prohibit any drain disposal of hazardous
chemicals or "treatment" of hazardous wastes
beyond pH adjustment, and may be far more
stringent than the disposal suggestions
provided by chemical suppliers. Proper
chemical disposal can reduce the costs and
management burdens associated with excess
chemicals, including disposal costs of expired
chemicals and the time required for inventory
and storage of excess and unwanted chemicals,
as well as costs of penalties due to
enforcement actions that may result from
improper chemical management.
Guidelines are provided below that schools
and administrators should follow for proper
chemical disposal.
• Establish a policy that makes pollution
prevention the preferred form of waste
management and strives to eliminate the
purchase and use of most, if not all,
hazardous chemicals. If elimination of the
particular chemicals is not possible, other
options include, in order of preference,
reuse or recycling of chemicals and
products; treatment of chemicals to reduce
toxicity; and disposal of chemicals in an
environmentally safe manner.
• Develop a budget for chemical
management and disposal. Initial costs
may involve hiring a chemical expert and
disposing of accumulated chemicals and
products. A longer-term waste disposal
budget should account for the staff time
necessary to develop and maintain
disposal procedures, the purchase of
special equipment and supplies, the
upkeep of safety equipment (e.g., fume
hoods), and annual hazardous chemical
disposal and staff training.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
123
-------
• Establish a chemical disposal policy
that addresses how unused and outdated
chemicals and products containing
chemicals should be properly removed
from schools (refer to "Chemical
Treatment and Disposal Tips" below.
Note that while treatment may be a viable
option to reduce or eliminate chemical waste,
treatment of hazardous waste may require
a permit or be subject to regulation. Schools
should consider discussing any treatment
options with local or regional government
regulatory agencies before implementing
them in laboratories.
There are a variety of types of treatment
techniques for making compounds non- or
less hazardous, such as:19
• Neutralization
• Separation
• Fixation
• Oxidation
• Precipitation
• Degradation
• Ion exchange.
Neutralization of acids and bases is probably
the most commonly used treatment method
in educational institutions. Neutralization
reduces a material's corrosivity (acid or
caustic properties) by raising or lowering the
pH to a neutral range, between 6 and 9.
of
to or
are:
» - by
solution
• - by to
• -
of or N-
» - by
* - by
water
*
as
in
solution
« fe.cj,, or
— by
bisulfite.
Again, before you implement any treatment
methods, you should discuss your plans with
state or local regulatory agencies.
19
Battelle Seattle Research Center, In-Laboratory
Treatment of Wastes, _ _
01 /lexl /00779/chl3.hlm. 1996, accessed March 28, 2005.
124
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
There are many ways to approach mercury and chemical safety; the important thing is to get started
on relevant policies and actions at the school and school district levels. In this activity, participants
will engage in interactive discussion on the materials in Chapter 3 (Policies and Actions for School
Administrators and Teachers) to identify specific policies and actions that their schools can take (or
have taken) to improve mercury and chemical safety.
Think through the materials presented in Chapter 3, and participate in the group discussion by
developing practical solutions based on your own experience. Here are a few ideas to get you
started:
A school could—
• Develop a mercury and chemical safety policy, and award prizes for the classrooms that best
demonstrate compliance.
• Join together with other schools and contact a regional hazardous waste management company
to deal with disposal of mercury products or other chemicals.
• Have a contest for students to create a cartoon character that will serve as the "mascot" for all
school chemical safety materials.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual 125
-------
Mercury exists in various forms, and people
are exposed to each in different ways.
Mercury deserves special attention because it:
l. Can interfere with the development of
children and adolescents,
2. Can be found in some schools, often in
science classrooms or elsewhere, and
3. Lasts a long time if a spill is not properly
cleaned up.
Exposure to high levels of mercury, as would
occur with the direct inhalation of mercury
vapor released during a mercury spill, is
associated with damage to the brain, heart,
kidneys, lungs, and immune system.
Concern about mercury has increased
recently due to the recognition of its
widespread global cycling in the environment
and developmental health effects observed at
relatively low levels of exposure. It is
important to identify potential sources of
exposure to mercury in schools and to follow
procedures for minimizing or eliminating
such exposures. This chapter discusses
background information on mercury, global
and local mercury sources and cycles, health
impacts, and actions that can be taken to
reduce mercury impacts in schools.
ja^mn, AeA^.fti Jvffm£/f Uxh/n
Mnmr^^K/^n&MT.-.iM'w'
jj^ mm ml myimK'
Iff
4t jk& _
•
Hand-writing of a 9 year old girl in monthly intervals
after an accidental intake of mercury-containing
seed preservatives. This exposure was due to
contaminated grain, and demonstrates that
exposures well after infancy can also have serious
consequences.20
20 World Health Organization, Training Package for the
Health Sector, Mercury, August 2006.
126
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Mercury is a naturally occurring element that
is found in air, water, and soil. It exists in
several forms: elemental, inorganic, and
organic.21
• Elemental Mercury: Elemental mercury,
also referred to as metallic mercury or
quicksilver, is a shiny, silver-white,
odorless liquid that is used in
thermometers and other measuring
instruments, dental fillings, batteries,
electrical switches, and some industrial
processes. Elemental mercury is also used
in some herbal and religious remedies
associated within certain spiritual practices
and folk remedies in Asian, Latin
American, and Caribbean cultures.
Elemental mercury readily evaporates at
room temperature forming a colorless,
odorless gas. In an enclosed space, even a
small amount of mercury can result in the
accumulation of very high levels of
mercury vapor in indoor air. Therefore,
exposure via inhalation of elemental
mercury is of particular concern when
mercury is spilled in schools, homes, or
other enclosed areas.
• Inorganic Mercury: Mercury combines
with other elements, such as chlorine,
sulfur, or oxygen, to form inorganic
mercury compounds or "salts" that are
usually white powders or crystals.
Mercury salts are used in some skin-
lightening creams, antiseptic creams, and
ointments. Mercury amalgamation
(combining mercury with other materials)
is the most commonly used method in
artisanal and small-scale gold mining,
practiced by 10 to 15 million miners
(including 1 million children) in more than
55 countries, primarily in Asia, Africa, and
South America.22 Inorganic mercury does
not readily evaporate and is not easily
inhaled. However, inorganic mercury can
be absorbed across the gastrointestinal
tract and the skin. Therefore, ingestion
and skin contact can result in exposure.
Organic Mercury: Mercury also
combines with carbon to form organic
mercury compounds. The most common
form is methyl mercury produced
predominantly by bacteria in water, soil, or
sediment. Increasing emissions of
mercury into the environment, primarily
from coal burning and waste incineration,
can increase the levels of methyl mercury
that these organisms produce. The most
significant source of human exposure to
organic mercury is through diet,
particularly from fish products. Since
organic mercury is easily absorbed across
the gastrointestinal tract and through the
skin, ingestion and skin contact can result
in exposure.
Of
Mercury is released into the environment
(into air, water, and soil) from both natural
processes and human activities. Mercury
sources can be grouped as follows:
1. Natural processes release mercury from
the Earth's crust (for example, volcanic
activity and weathering of rocks).
2. Human activities release mercury found in
raw materials, such as burning fossil fuels
to generate electricity (especially from coal
but also from oil and gas), and mining and
metals production.
3. Human activities release mercury that is
intentionally used in products and
21 Final Report, Republic of the Philippines and U.S. EPA
Collaborative Mercury Spill Response, St. Andrews School
Mercury Spill Assessment and Removal, La Huerta,
Paranaque City, Philippines, 20-25 May 2006.
22 United Nations Industrial Development Organization
(UNIDO), Global Mercury Project, Report to the United
Nations Environment Program Governing Council Meeting,
Global Impacts of Mercury Supply and Demand in Small-
scale Gold Mining, October 2006.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
127
-------
processes (for example, manufacturing,
use, and incineration or disposal of some
types of batteries, thermometers, and
dental amalgams).
The United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP) estimates that the total global
emissions of mercury (from human activities
and natural processes) ranges from 4,400 to
7,500 metric tons per year. The U.S. EPA
estimates that 50 to 70 percent of current
global anthropogenic atmospheric emissions
(from human activities) come from fossil fuel
combustion. China, India, and other Asian
countries accounted for over 50% of
anthropogenic atmospheric mercury
emissions in 2000, as highlighted in the
following figure. Coal consumption in Asia
is expected to grow significantly over the next
20 years.
Corweraion
to MtftyMmcury
BtoaecunuhMion
The - Mercury from natural processes and human activities cycles
through the environment. Mercury in products such as thermometers is released to the
air from municipal waste incinerators, landfills, and trash dumps. Mercury from products
in landfills and trash dumps can also reach lakes, rivers, and oceans by seeping into the
surrounding soils and groundwater.
23 Northeast Waste Management Officials Association, The Mercury Cycle,
lillp://www. newrnoa.org/preveiilion/lopicluib722/mercury cycle.pdl. Accessed March 31, 2008.
128
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
1990
Total: 1.181
Total: 2,269
Distribution of Man-made Emissions of Mercury24
Atmospheric mercury can be transported
over a range of distances before it is
deposited onto land or water, resulting in
deposition on local, regional, continental, and
global scales. Mercury that remains in the air
for prolonged periods of time and travels
across continents is said to be in the "global
cycle." Mercury in the air eventually settles
into water or onto land where it can be
washed into water. Once mercury has been
deposited, certain microorganisms can
change mercury into methylmercury, a highly
toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish,
and other animals that eat fish. The process
of concentrating mercury as it moves higher
up the food chain is called bioaccumulation.
The concentrations of methylmercury in large
fish can be over a million-fold larger than in
the surrounding water.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Roadmap for
Mercury: Figure 6, Chapter V (Addressing International
Mercury Sources), 2006,
llli|x//_WAV W...CP tj. PQI^^ Accessed
March 31, 2008.
of -
In Thailand, there are several sources of
mercury release attributable to human
activity, including power plants, oil and gas
production, gold mining, hospitals, and
industry. At least four major thermal power
plants in Thailand burn coal to produce
electricity. All coal contains some level of
mercury, and burning the coal releases the
mercury into the air; mercury also remains
in the ash left after combustion. The small-
scale application of mercury in gold
extraction, which has been a major focus for
reduction by UNEP, has been reported to
remain in "a few local villages" in Thailand.
In the oil and gas industry, treatment
technologies have been employed to reduce
mercury prior to discharge, but waste
discharges in the Gulf of Thailand containing
trace amounts of mercury continue from oil
and gas operations. Mercury in paint has
been reduced by a Ministry of Industry
"green label" program, although up to 25%
of paint factories still apply mercury in their
manufacturing process. The fluorescent
lamp industry in Thailand reportedly
conducts manufacturing processes in a closed
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
129
-------
system to minimize mercury releases during
production. In 2003, Thailand imported
approximately 14,000 kg of mercury,
primarily for application in fluorescent lamp
production, dentistry, and lab analysis.
The Thailand Pollution Control Department
(PCD) monitors mercury levels in the
environment. Given the elevated awareness
of the human health risks associated with the
consumption of mercury-polluted seafood,
Thailand PCD has sampled marine organisms
to assess the extent of such risk. Results of
this sampling through 2001 did not find any
exceedances of the standard prescribed by
the Ministry of Public Health. However,
PCD testing in 2007 of imports from China
found excessive mercury in some seafood
and pickled bean curd, prompting intensified
testing by PCD. The PCD also conducts a
coastal water sampling program. The results
for 2001 to 2003 did not reveal any
exceedance of the National Coastal Water
Quality Standard of 0.1 ug/L, although values
approaching the standard prompted PCD to
identify the responsible industrial source to
address the problem. Similarly, sampling of
16 major rivers did not reveal any exceedance
of the 2 ug/L Thailand Surface Water Quality
Standard. PCD has also conducted sampling
of sediments (river bottom material) and
found isolated cases of mercury
concentrations above sediment quality
standards established by environmental
agencies in Australia, Hong Kong, New
Zealand, and Florida.25
in
Science classrooms and storerooms often
contain elemental mercury or mercury
compounds used as laboratory reagents.
Science classes also may use mercury
thermometers, or other mercury-containing
laboratory instruments such as barometers
25 Thailand Pollution Control Department and
Chulalongkom University, Mercury Situation in Thailand
(undated).
(pressure gauges for measuring the pressure
of the atmosphere). These all create
significant risks of mercury spills, particularly
if students have access to them. There is no
need for science classrooms to use these
chemicals or devices; there are safe, non-
mercury replacements for all of them. In
addition, nurses' offices often contain
mercury fever thermometers and
sphygmomanometers (blood pressure
measuring devices), which also pose spill risks
because they are easily breakable. There are
non-mercury thermometers and blood
pressure devices available as well. All
schools are encouraged to prevent spills by
removing all elemental mercury, mercury
compounds, and mercury measurement
devices from classrooms and nurses' offices.
Mercury is also used in many of the types of
items that are found in some buildings, such
as thermostats, flow meters, boiler controls,
and electrical equipment. Generally, such
equipment poses little risk of spill because the
mercury is not easily accessible and the
products are not easily broken. However,
such equipment needs to be disposed of
properly at the end of its life, and new
equipment should be mercury-free. School
building maintenance staff should inventory
mercury-containing equipment, properly
dispose of it when it comes out of service,
and implement mercury-free purchasing
policies.
Schools may continue to use one category of
mercury-containing product — fluorescent
lamps. There is currently no alternative to
mercury-containing fluorescent lamps that is
as energy efficient and that is appropriate for
general indoor lighting. The energy efficiency
of fluorescent lamps makes them a good
environmental choice because of less
emissions of mercury and other pollutants
from power generation. However, while the
amount of mercury in each lamp is small,
schools use significant numbers of lamps,
and these must be disposed of properly.
130
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
For example, refer to Thailand PCD's
website (http://www.pcd.go.th/
in to s erv / en hazadou s .h tml) for
information (in Thai) on their fluorescent
lamp recycling program.
in
Mercury has properties that have led to its
use in many different products. Mercury
conducts electricity, forms alloys with other
metals, and expands in response to changes
in temperature and pressure. Mercury is also
used in the chlor-alkali industrial process,
which produces hydrogen, sodium, chlorine,
and potassium hydroxides. Some mercury
compounds act as preservatives, and are used
in medicines and other products. Because
some of these products may be found in
schools, or in the homes and communities of
students and teachers, they are discussed
briefly below.
Products that may contain mercury include
certain types of batteries, thermometers,
thermostats, skin-whitening creams, dental
amalgams (fillings), paints, light-up tennis
shoes, and novelty jewelry items. Also, all
fluorescent light bulbs contain mercury.
These products vary in terms of their risk to
human health, as further discussed in
Section 4.3. While most skin-whitening
creams are considered safe, some of the least
expensive (and often black market or illegal)
creams contain mercury or other dangerous
chemicals. For example, Thailand's Food
and Drug Administration has published a list
of 70 skin-whitening creams circulating
illegally around the country.26
While some manufacturers have reduced or
eliminated their use of mercury in products,
there are still many existing items in the
marketplace that contain mercury. However,
in most cases, non-mercury alternatives exist
for mercury-containing products.
272
torts, 5%
Total: 338i metric tons
Batteries, 108 Items,
32%
.r.|or-a:ka:, 797 tons,
24%
Global Mercury Use in 2000. The largest use of mercury in products in 2000
was in batteries. Source: USEPA Roadmap for Mercury (2006)
26 Mercury in Cosmetics, Michael Bender, Mercury Policy
Project, Serial Mercury Working Group, Workshop to
Reduce Use and Release of Mercury in Products for the Asia
Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand, 17-19 May 2007, pp. 260-267.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
131
-------
Adverse human health effects can result from
acute or chronic exposure to mercury.
Exposure occurs primarily through
inhalation, and to a lesser extent through skin
absorption or ingestion. Acute exposures may
result from breaking products containing
mercury. Acute exposure to high levels of
elemental mercury vapor can affect the brain
and the central nervous system. Exposure to
high levels of mercury vapor can also cause
symptoms such as irritation to the lining of
the mouth, lungs, and airways; increased
blood pressure and heart rate; nausea;
vomiting; diarrhea; skin rashes; eye irritation;
and a condition known as acrodynia, which is
a syndrome characterized by red peeling skin,
especially on the hands, feet, and nose.
Exposure may also cause symptoms such as
weakness, fretfulness, sleeplessness, excessive
salivation or sweating, itching, swelling, fever,
memory loss, and elevated blood pressure.
Even a small amount of mercury remaining
in a room after a spill can continue to
evaporate slowly over time, resulting in
elevated concentrations of mercury in the
air, thus presenting the threat of chronic
exposure. Symptoms of chronic exposure
to elemental mercury include personality
changes (irritability, shyness, nervousness);
tremors; vision changes; deafness; lack of
muscle coordination; loss of sensation; and
memory difficulties.27
Fish and shellfish consumption are the main
sources of methylmercury exposure to
humans, typically representing a chronic
exposure. Young children are particularly
susceptible to the effects of mercury because
it affects the central nervous system, which is
still developing in the first few years of life.
Even low levels of mercury exposure have
been associated with learning problems in
children.
Sources of exposure for children in the
developing world may be quite different than
exposures to the general public worldwide.
For example, children in the developing
world may face:
• Occupational exposures from gold/silver
mining that are usually high and may be
acutely toxic, seen in the context of child
labor.
• Regional uses of mercury as seen with
traditional rituals and folk remedies, and
preparation of cosmetics (skin whiteners,
creams, lotions, and soaps) with mercury.
• Eating contaminated fish as a major
portion of their diet.
The effects of mercury exposure can be very
severe, subtle, or may not occur at all,
depending on the person's health, age,
exposure, and other factors. Because fetuses,
infants, and children are still developing, they
are particularly sensitive to the effects of
methylmercury on the nervous system.
27 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Emergency
Response Team and Region 5, Mercury Response
Guidebook (for Emergency Responders) ,
llli|x//_wAvw...e|iti._gQi'^ July 2004.
There are many steps administrators,
teachers, and parents can take to reduce or
eliminate mercury in schools. For best
results, include representatives from all levels
of school staff in any efforts to eliminate
mercury, as well as parents, students, and
concerned citizens. A good way to proceed
is to create a "Mercury Task Force"
composed of science teachers, janitors,
grounds-keepers, school nurses,
administrators, parents, and students.
132
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
The Mercury Task Force can lead the effort
toward removing all mercury from the school
by accomplishing the following steps:
• Conduct a thorough inventory of all
mercury sources in the school, including
those found in classrooms, laboratories,
storerooms, and nurse's offices.
• Make sure mercury sources are well
labeled.
• Work toward replacing essential mercury
sources, such as thermometers, with
mercury-free alternatives, as described in
Section 3.2.
• Establish a mercury spill response plan
(see Section 4.4.2). Ensure that school
staff and students know what to do in the
event of a mercury spill. A good mercury
spill response plan includes steps for spill
containment, evacuation, ventilation,
decontamination, clean-up, and disposal.
The response plan should also include a
procedure for notifying the appropriate
local authorities and parents.
• Prevent accidental mercury spills by
storing non-essential mercury sources
properly until they can be removed from
school property.
• Contact the local hazardous waste disposal
agency or a private hazardous waste
disposal company to safely remove
mercury sources from school property.
Do NOT throw mercury-containing items
or chemicals in the trash or down the
drain!
• Raise awareness about mercury safety in
the community by informing residents
about the hazards of mercury compounds.
Mercury spills can occur at home or in
schools. One of the most common causes of
mercury spills is a broken mercury
thermometer. All mercury spills, regardless
be
the
be in a
of a a
lid
and
- DO NOT
of size, are hazardous. Liquid elemental
mercury emits toxic vapors into the air that
can poison children, adults, and pets.
Mercury vapor is colorless and odorless and
thus difficult to detect. Liquid mercury easily
separates into tiny beads that can accumulate
in very small spaces, such as on carpet fibers
or between floor tiles. To avoid dangerous
contamination of clothing and belongings,
always follow safe cleanup practices when
dealing with a mercury spill! This section
outlines the equipment you will need to clean
up a small mercury spill (about the amount in
one thermometer), and tells you what NOT
to do in the case of a spill. Appendix J
contains detailed step-by-step instructions
that you should follow in the event of a
mercury spill.
One of the most important things parents
and teachers can do to prevent children from
being exposed to the toxic effects of mercury
is to have a plan in place in the event of a
mercury spill. Whenever possible, a qualified
professional cleanup contractor should be
engaged to clean up mercury spills.
Professional cleanup contractors have access
to specialized equipment that permits safe
removal of mercury from most nonporous
surfaces such as smooth concrete, tile floors,
and counters. In the event a professional
contractor is not available, the procedure
below should be followed when a mercury
spill occurs. Treat this procedure like a "fire
drill" by practicing it several times per year so
adults and children become familiar with
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
133
-------
vacuum cleaner will become contaminated
with mercury and will have to be discarded.
» § 1-L
if
» 2
« or at 1
- for ail of the
fit
on
• 1 of
» 1
* 1
« 1 roll of
« 1
» 1 of
» or
in
be
their roles. Assemble a "Spill Cleanup Kit"
and store it in a safe place so it is readily
available in the event of a spill28. Note that
all items involved in cleanup of a mercury
spill will become contaminated and will have
to be discarded as hazardous waste, so plan
accordingly.
to Do in the of a
mercury spill! Children and adolescents are
more susceptible to mercury poisoning than
adults, so they should immediately leave the
area of the spill and go outside or into a
well-ventilated area. Adults are also more
responsible than children and adolescents
and can be trusted to follow all the steps
for safe cleanup of a mercury spill.
spill! The vacuum cleaner will volatilize
liquid mercury and increase exposure to
toxic mercury vapors. In addition, the
28 Adapted from U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency's Mercury Spill Page, http: / / w w w.Cpil.gov/
mereurv/s pills /index.htm. Accessed March 31, 2008.
The broom will break the liquid mercury
into tiny beads and spread them into small
spaces, such as between floor tiles or floor
boards. Once mercury beads are out of
sight in small spaces, they are very difficult
to remove. They will remain in the room
to volatilize and poison adults, children,
and pets. In addition, the broom will
become contaminated with mercury and
will have to be discarded.
Never pour mercury down the sink! Mercury
will contaminate lakes or streams where
waste water is discharged. And because
mercury is very dense, it can lodge in the
drain and cause plumbing problems.
contaminate lakes or streams where waste
water is discharged. In addition, the
washing machine will become
contaminated with mercury and will have
to be discarded.
mercury! Burning items contaminated with
mercury will vaporize the mercury into its
most toxic form.
Never throw items contaminated with mercury
into the local trash! Items contaminated with
mercury are hazardous wastes, and they
must be disposed of properly. Most local
trash is either transferred to a landfill or
burned, both of which will release mercury
into the environment, where it can harm
humans and wildlife.
Cleaners
containing ammonia or chlorine will react
with mercury to release toxic gases.
134
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
The UNEP Mercury Program was created in
2003 to reduce the risks of mercury to human
health and the environment. The program is
supported by 130 nations including the Asian
nations of Bangladesh, Cambodia, China,
India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia,
Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and
Vietnam. The program endorses immediate
actions to reduce mercury uses and releases,
assist developing countries to create mercury
emissions inventories, raise awareness, and
provide technical assistance.
The role of schools in such efforts can be to
educate their students about some broader
scale actions that countries can take to
control mercury through regulatory measures,
such as:
• Control and reduction of Hg release into
the environment through actions on:
Coal burning power plants
Medical uses and waste
Municipal and hazardous waste
incineration
Factory and mining discharges
• Regulation/eradication of child labor in
situations where exposure to mercury is
likely — in small-scale mining areas and
other occupations
• Environmental quality standards — control
of mercury levels in drinking water,
surface waters, air, soil, and foodstuff,
such as fish
• Standards, actions, and programs on
mercury exposure — In the workplace,
through fish consumption advisories, and
consumer safety measures.
The public can contribute to mercury
reduction efforts by purchasing mercury-free
products and correctly disposing of products
that contain mercury, and by reducing
demand for products whose production leads
to the release of mercury into the
environment.
at
it
the In the
of
to on
in
of By the
11,300 of dry
170 kg of
In 1999,
a
in By 2005,
k§ of
recovered.
Source. Eisaku Toda,
Environmental Health and Safety Division,
Ministry of the Environment, Japan,
Workshop to Reduce Use and Release of
Mercury in Products for the Asia Pacific-
Bangkok. Thailand. 17-19 May 2007.
op. 236-242.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
135
-------
This activity is designed to prepare participants to properly address a mercury spill at a school.
The following spill scenario requires specific actions of everyone involved.
Each training participant should pick a role, read through the scenario, and then act out the
instructions for clean-up of a mercury spill.
Roles:
1 teacher
1 assistant teacher
1 principal
3 mercury-contaminated students
5 (or more) clean (not mercury-contaminated) students
Scenario:
In a high school chemistry class, mercury thermometers are provided to students as part of the
required laboratory equipment for a science experiment. Three of the students are misbehaving,
when one accidentally knocks a glass beaker and a thermometer off the laboratory table onto the
floor. Both items break.
Following the step-by-step instructions in Appendix J to properly respond to the "spill," act out
your role in the spill clean-up. Afterwards, participate in a discussion on ways the clean-up could
have been improved, and any lessons learned from practicing the clean-up instructions.
136 Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Chemicals are used daily in both the
maintenance of schools and the curriculum
taught. Despite their useful purposes,
chemicals can be dangerous to students and
staff when managed improperly. Some
chemicals that are persistent in the
environment and bio-accumulate through the
food chain can make exposure during
childhood and adolescence especially
dangerous. In particular, mercury has long-
lasting effects on human health and the
environment, and mercury-containing
thermometers should be properly disposed of
and replaced with safer alternatives.
Ensuring that chemicals are properly
managed will help school administrators
safeguard the health and safety of students
and school employees; avoid disposal
expenses and school closures associated with
spills and emergency incidents; maintain a
sense of trust between the district and the
surrounding community; and prevent
unintended discharges and spills, which inflict
damage upon the environment.
As a path forward, schools should:
• Support chemical management efforts
with appropriate budget.
• Appoint and train well-qualified,
responsible leadership.
• Share your experiences with other districts
and administrators.
• Purchase safer alternatives to hazardous
substances.
• Adopt policies encouraging proper
purchasing, labeling, storage, and disposal
of chemicals and products.
• Train faculty and staff (and students, as
applicable) on the potential dangers posed
by chemicals, and on available alternatives
that are less hazardous.
• Disseminate information on reducing the
quantity and hazards of hazardous
chemicals and products.
When implemented effectively, chemical
management promotes awareness about the
range of chemicals and products used in
schools and creates a healthier and safer
atmosphere for school occupants and the
surrounding environment.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
137
-------
Material Safety Data Sheet
Mercury(II) sulfide, red, 99,5+%
ACC# 94301
Section 1 - Chemical Product Company Identification
Name: Mercury(H) sulfide, red, 99.5+%
Catalog Numbers: AC222690000, AC222690500
Synonyms: Vermilion; Chinese Red; C.I. Pigment 106; C.I. 77766
Company Identification;
Acros Organics N.V.
One Reagent Lane
Fair Lawn, NJ 07410
For information in North America, call; 800-ACROS-01
For emergencies in the US, call CHEMTREC: 800-424-9300
Section 2 - Composition, Information on Ingredients
CAS*
1344-48-5
Chemical Name
Mercury(II) sulfide, red
Percent
99.5+%
EIN1CS/1LINCS
215-696-3
3 -
Appearance: red powder.
Danger! Very toxic by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed. May be fatal if
inhaled, absorbed through the skin or swallowed. May cause eye, skin, and respiratory
tract irritation. May cause central nervous system effects. Danger of cumulative effects.
Target Organs: Kidneys, central nervous system.
Eye; May cause eye irritation.
Skin: May cause skin irritation. May be fatal if absorbed through the skin.
Ingestion: May be fatal if swallowed. May cause irritation of the digestive tract. May
cause central nervous system effects,
Inhalation: May be fatal if inhaled. May cause respiratory tract irritation.
Chronic; May cause kidney injury. Chronic exposure to mercury may cause permanent
central nervous system damage, fatigue, weight loss, tremors, personality changes.
29 Fisher Safety, MSDS Search,
Accessed March 31, 2008.
138
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Section 4 - First Aid
Eyes: Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, occasionally
lifting the upper and lower eyelids. Get medical aid imme diateiy,
Skin; Get medical aid immediately. Immediately flush skin with plenty of water for at
least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes,
Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting. If victim is conscious and alert, give 2-4 cupfuls of
milk or water. Get medical aid immediately,
Inhalation: Remove from exposure and move to fresh air immediately. If breathing is
difficult, give oxygen. Get medical aid. Do NOT use mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, If
breathing has ceased apply artificial respiration using oxygen and a suitable mechanical
device such as a bag and a mask.
Notes to Physician: Treat symptomatically and supportively,
Antidote: The use of Dimercapro! or BAL (British Anti-Lewisite) as a chelattng agent
should be determined by qualified medical personnel.
Section 5 - Fire Fighting
General Information: As in any fire, wear a self-contained breathing apparatus in
pressure-demand, MSHA/NIOSH (approved or equivalent), and full protective gear.
During a fire, irritating and highly toxic gases may be generated by thermal
decomposition or combustion,
Extinguishing Media: Substance is noncombustible; use agent most appropriate to
extinguish surrounding fire,
Flash Point: Not available.
Autoignition Temperature: Not available.
Explosion Limits, Lower:Not available.
Upper: Not available.
NFPA Rating: (estimated) Health: 4; Flammability: 0; Instability: 0
i Section 6 -
General Information: Use proper personal protective equipment as indicated in Section
8.
Spills/Leaks: Vacuum or sweep up material and place into a suitable disposal container.
Wash area with soap and water. Clean up spills immediately, observing precautions in the
Protective Equipment section. Avoid generating dusty conditions.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual 139
-------
Section 7 - Handling and Storage
Handling: Wash thoroughly after handling. Minimize dust generation and accumulation.
Do not breathe dust, mist, or vapor. Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing. Use only
in a chemical fume hood.
Storage: Do not store in direct sunlight. Store in a tightly closed container. Store in a
cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from incompatible substances. Poison room locked.
Section 8 - Exposure Controls, Personal Protection
Engineering Controls: Facilities storing or utilizing this material should be equipped
with an eyewash facility and a safety shower. Use adequate ventilation to keep airborne
concentrations low,
Exposure Limits
Chemical Name
Mercury(II) suifide, red
ACGIH
0.025 mg/m3 TWA (as
Hg) (listed under
Mercury inorganic
compounds). Skin -
potential significant
contribution to overall
exposure by the
cutaneous r oute (listed
under Mercury inorganic
compounds).
NIOSH
0.05 mg/m3TWA
(vapor, except organo
aikyls, as Hg) (listed
under Mercury
compounds). 10 mg/mS
IDLH (as Hg, except
organo(alkyl)
compounds) (listed
under Mercury
compounds).
OSHA « Final PELs
none listed
OSHA Vacated PELs: Mercury(II) suifide, red: No OSHA Vacated are for this
chemical.
Personal Protective Equipment
Eyes: Wear appropriate protective eyeglasses or chemical safety goggles as described by
OSHA's eye and face protection regulations in 29 CFR 1910.133 or European Standard
EN166.
Skin: Wear appropriate protective gloves to prevent skin exposure.
Clothing: Wear appropriate protective clothing to prevent skin exposure.
Respirators: Follow the OSHA respirator regulations found in 29 CFR 1910.134 or
European Standard EN 149. Use a NIOSH/MSHA or European Standard EN 149 approved
respirator if exposure limits are exceeded or if irritation or other symptoms are
experienced.
Section 9 - Physical and Chemical Properties
140
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Physical State: Powder
Appearance: bright red - red
Odor; none reported
pH: Not available,
Vapor Pressure: Not available.
Vapor Density: Not available.
Evaporation Rate:Not available.
Viscosity: Not available.
Boiling Point: Not available.
Freezing/Melting Point:583.5 deg C sub!
Decomposition Temperature:Not available.
Solubility: Insoluble.
Specific Gravity/Density:8.1000g/cm3
Molecular FormulasHgS
Molecular Weight:232.65
Section 10 - Stability and Reactivity
Chemical Stability: May decompose when exposed to light.
Conditions to Avoid: Light, dust generation, temperatures above 250°C.
Incompatibilities with Other Materials: Strong oxidizing agents, acids.
Hazardous Decomposition Products: Oxides of sulfur, mercury/mercury oxides.
Hazardous Polymerization: Has not reported
i Section 11 - Toxicological Information
RTECS#:
CAS# 1344-48-5: OX0720000
LD50/LC50:
Not available.
Carcinogenicity:
CAS# 1344-48-5: Not listed by ACGIH, IARC, NTP, or CA Prop 65.
Epidemiology: No information found
Teratogenicity: No information found
Reproductive Effects: No information found
Mytagenicity: No information found
Neurotoxicity: No information found
Other Studies:
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual 141
-------
Section 12 - Ecological Information
No information available.
13 -
Chemical waste generators must determine whether a discarded chemical is classified as
a hazardous waste, US EPA guidelines for the classification determination are listed in 40
CFR Parts 261.3. Additionally, waste generators must consult state and local hazardous
waste regulations to ensure complete and accurate classification.
RCRA P-Series: None listed.
RCRA U-Series; None listed.
Section 14 - Transport Information
Shipping Name;
Hazard Class:
UN Number:
Packing Group:
US DOT
MERCURY COMPOUNDS, SOLID, N.O.S.
6.1
UN202S
III
Canada TDG
MERCURY COMPOUND SOLID NOS
(MERCURY SULFIDE)
6.1
UN202S
III
15 - Regulatory Information
US FEDERAL
TSCA
CAS# 1344-48-5 is listed on the TSCA inventory.
Health & Safety Reporting List
None of the chemicals are on the Health & Safety Reporting List,
Chemical Test Rules
None of the chemicals in this product are under a Chemical Test Rule.
Section 12b
None of the chemicals are listed under TSCA Section I2b.
TSCA Significant New Use Rule
None of the chemicals in this material have a SNUR under TSCA.
CERCLA Hazardous Substances and corresponding RQs
None of the chemicals in this material have an RQ.
SARA Section 302 Extremely Hazardous Substances
None of the chemicals in this product have a TPQ.
142
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Section 313
This material contains Mercury(II) sulfide, red (listed as Mercury compounds), 99.5+
%, (CAS# 1344-48-5) which is subject to the reporting requirements of Section 313 of
SARA Title III and 40 CFR Part 373.
Clean Air Act:
CAS# 1344-48-5 (listed as Mercury compounds) is listed as a hazardous air
pollutant (HAP).
This material does not contain any Class 1 Ozone depletors.
This material does not contain any Class 2 Ozone depletors.
Clean Water Act:
None of the chemicals in this product are listed as Hazardous Substances under the
CWA.
None of the chemicals in this product are listed as Priority Pollutants under the CWA.
CAS# 1344-48-5 is listed as a Toxic Pollutant under the Clean Water Act.
OSHA:
None of the chemicals in this product are considered highly hazardous by OSHA.
STATE
CAS# 1344-48-5 can be found on the following state right to know lists: California,
(listed as Mercury compounds), New Jersey, (listed as Mercury compounds), New jersey,
(listed as Mercury inorganic compounds), Pennsylvania, (listed as Mercury compounds).
California Prop 65
WARNING; This product contains Mercury(II) sulfide, red, listed as ' Mercury compounds',
a chemical known to the state of California to cause developmental reproductive toxicity.
California No Significant Risk Level: None of the chemicals in this product are listed.
European/International Regulations
European Labeling in Accordance with EC Directives
Hazard Symbols:
T+
Risk Phrases:
R 26/27/28 Very toxic by inhalation, in contact with skin and if
swallowed.
R 33 Danger of cumulative effects.
Safety Phrases:
S 24/25 Avoid contact with skin and eyes.
S 36/37/39 Wear suitable protective clothing, gloves and eye/face pr
otection.
WGK (Water Danger/Protection)
CAS# 1344-48-5: No information available.
Canada - DSL/NDSL
CAS# 1344-48-5 is listed on Canada's DSL List.
Canada - WHMIS
This product has a WHMIS classification of D1A.
This product has been classified in accordance with the hazard criteria of the Controlled
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual 143
-------
Products Regulations and the MSDS contains all of the information required by those
regulations,
Canadian Ingredient Disclosure List
CAS# 1344-48-5 (listed as Mercury compounds) is listed on the Canadian Ingredient
Disclosure List.
| 16 - Additional Information
MSDS Creation Date: 1/27/1998
Revision #4 Date: 3/16/2007
The information above is believed to be accurate and represents the best information currently available to
us. However, we make no warranty of merchantability or any other warranty, express or implied, with
respect to such information, and we assume no liability resulting from its use. Users should make their own
investigations to determine the suitability of the information for their particular purposes. In no event shall
Fisher be liable for any claims, losses, or damages of any third party or for lost profits or any special,
indirect, incidental, consequential or exemplary damages, howsoever arising, even if Fisher has been
advised of the possibility of such damages.
144 Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
*.;„ - - - - - ^ f Jlf .
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
145
-------
146
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Laboratory Pollution Prevention Checklist
Material Substitution:
D Substitute less hazardous chemicals for more hazardous ones.
D Use laboratory detergents rather than hazardous cleaning baths.
Q Use toxic/hazardous solvents rather than more toxic/hazardous solvents.
D Avoid the use of reagents containing: barium arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, mercury, selenium, and
silver.
Purchasing/Inventory Control:
D Develop a purchasing strategy for chemicals and other hazardous materials.
D Purchase chemicals in smaller sizes.
D Standardize chemical purchases across laboratories and an area for central storage of chemicals.
O Designate a to be responsible for purchasing chemicals and monitoring inventories.
D Link purchasing requests into an inventory system so that excess chemicals in stock can be used before
buying more.
D Find a supplier who will accept unopened/expired chemicals that are returned, or will otherwise support
minimization efforts.
D Use tags, bar codes, or some other system to establish a computer tracking of chemicals.
D if trying out a new procedure, try to obtain the chemicals needed from another lab or purchase a small
amount initially. Ater you know you will be using more of this chemical, purchase in larger quantities,
Process Efficiency:
D Write a waste management/reduction policy,
O include waste reduction as part of employee/student training.
D Set up specific reduction goals, (e.g. 50% reduction in amount of waste generated per year)
D Create an incentive program for waste reduction.
D Evaluate laboratory procedures to see if less hazardous or nonhazardous reagents could be used.
D Consider the quantity and type of waste produced when purchasing new equipment. Purchase equipment
that enables the use of procedures that produce waste.
D Review your procedures regularly to see if quantities of chemicals and/or chemical waste could be reduced.
D When preparing a new protocol, consider the kinds and amounts of waste products and see how they can
be reduced or eliminated.
D Scale down experiments producing hazardous waste wherever possible.
D Use pre-weighed or pre-measured reagent packets for introductory teaching where is high.
Recovery/Reuse/Recycling:
D Set up an internal surplus chemical exchange or participate in an outside chemical/waste exchange
program.
D Filter/Distill spent solvent for reuse onsite or via a solvent recycling service.
D Reclaim metal-bearing waste
D Segregate Individual Waste Streams. Keep hazardous waste separate from nonhazardous and
organic waste separate from inorganic waste.
Innovation:
D Move to microscale chemistry.
D Substitute computer simulations, videos, etc. for actual experiments.
D Use alternatives to solvent-based extraction (e.g., Solid Phase Microextraction or Supercritical Fluid
Extraction).
D Use instruments in place of wet chemistry (e.g., chromatography, spectrophotometry, atomic absorption,
nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray diffraction).
D Adopt green chemistry principles as a standard laboratory management strategy.
30 Ohio EPA, Laboratory Pollution Prevention checklist of lab opportunities,
hllp://www.epa.slale.oh.us/ocapp/p2/labp2checklisU)(lf. Accessed March 25, 2008
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual 147
-------
The following two green chemistry exercises deal with the principles of acid/base chemistry.
They can be performed independently or consecutively, depending on time constraints.
Often, chemists need to know whether a substance is acidic or basic. One way to measure the
relative acidity of a solution is to use an indicator. Acid/base indicators change color in the presence
of acids and bases and thus indicate the relative acidity of a solution. Litmus paper is a common
indicator: litmus paper is red in the presence of an acid, blue in the presence of a base, and white in a
neutral solution. Sometimes chemists need to know how acidic or basic a solution is in a very
narrow range of pH values. In these cases, chemists will use an appropriate chemical indicator that
changes color around the pH value of interest. For example, bromthymol blue is an indicator that
changes color from yellow to blue in the range of pH 5-8.
Many useful indicators can be derived from natural products, such as red cabbage, blackberries,
cherries, apple skins, and radish skins. In this exercise, you will make an acid/base indicator from
the juice of red cabbage. Subsequently, you will use your cabbage juice indicator to determine the
approximate pH of 10 common household products.
• 500-750 mL distilled water
• Hot plate
• 1A head of red cabbage
• Knife and cutting board OR
food processor
• 1 1000 mL beaker
• 2 heat-resistant gloves or
oven mitts
1 500 mL beaker
10 50 mL beakers
Sieve or collander
100-200 mLisopropyl
alcohol
500 mL plastic squeeze
bottle
1 piece of white paper,
cut into approximately
1 cm x 4 cm strips
• 10 common household
products to test for pH
(suggestions: soda pop, fresh
milk, sour milk, orange juice,
vinegar, coffee, tea, tap
water, bottled mineral water,
bathroom cleaner, window
cleaner, baking soda, baking
powder, antacids, aspirin,
dish soap, laundry soap,
plant fertilizer)
31 Adapted from The Science House, hlLp://www.science-house.»rg/leani/Comilerl»nChern/index.hlml. Accessed March 31, 2008.
148
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
1. Using the knife and cutting board OR the food processor, cut the red cabbage into fine pieces.
2. Fill the 1000 mL beaker approximately % full with finely cut red cabbage. Add enough
distilled water to the beaker up to completely submerge the cut cabbage.
3. Carefully place the 1000 mL beaker containing the water and cabbage it in onto the hot plate.
Turn the hot plate on a high setting until the mixture boils. After the mixture begins to boil,
turn down the hot plate until you have a gentle rolling boil, and let the mixture boil for 10
minutes.
4. After the mixture has boiled for 10 minutes, remove it from the heat; be sure to protect your
hands with the heat-resistant gloves or oven mitts. Let the beaker stand for 30 minutes, or
until it has completely cooled.
5. Carefully strain the cool mixture into the 500 mL beaker using the sieve or collander. Discard
the used cabbage. The cabbage juice liquid should be a dark purple-red color.
6. Add isopropyl alcohol to your cabbage juice in a 1:5 ratio of alcohol to juice; isopropyl alcohol
acts as a preservative and will prevent your cabbage juice from spoiling. This final liquid is
your cabbage juice acid/base indicator.
7. Store your cabbage juice indicator in a squeeze bottle. To make litmus paper-like indicator
strips, soak the cut paper strips in the cabbage juice until completely saturated, and then allow
the paper strips to dry.
8. Select 10 common household products for pH testing. Place a small sample of each of the 10
household products in 10 50 mL beakers, one product in each beaker. If the product of
interest is not a liquid, such as baking soda for example, then add enough distilled water to the
product to make a solution. In the case of a solid sample, such as solid antacids, crush the
sample into a powder before adding the distilled water so that the solid sample dissolves
quickly. Once you have added water to the powdered solid, gently swirl the beaker to help
dissolve the sample.
9. To test the acidity of each sample, place either 2-3 drops of the liquid indicator into each
beaker containing the household products, OR dip one of the indicator strips into the solution
in each beaker. [Note that you will need to use the indicator strips for dark-colored solutions,
such as coffee, tea, or brown-colored soda pop.] Observe the color change of the solution or
the indictor strip. Determine the approximate pH of each household product using Figure 1.
Makes some general observations about the smells, tastes (when safe — don't taste bathroom
cleaners or drain cleaners, for example!), and uses of the products. Record your observations
and results on your Data Sheet.
acid neutral base
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Figure 1. Colors of Red Cabbage Juice Indicator at Different pH Values
10. When you are finished with the exercise, clean up your equipment. Clean, rinse, and dry all of
the beakers you used. Throw excess solid cabbage into the garbage.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual 149
-------
1. Which household products were acids? What do the acids you tested have in common (e.g.,
uses, smells/tastes, origins)? Based on your observations, make some general statements
about acidic household products.
2. Which household products were bases? What do the bases you tested have in common (e.g.,
uses, smells/tastes, origins)? Based on your observations, make some general statements
about basic household products.
3. Which household products were neutral? What do the neutral products you tested have in
common (e.g., uses, smells/tastes, origins)? Based on your observations, make some general
statements about neutral household products.
Observations about acidic products:
Observations about basic products:
Observations about neutral products:
1. Soda pop, orange juice, vinegar, sour milk, and aspirin are acidic. Acids generally taste sour.
2. Bathroom cleaner, window cleaner, baking soda, baking powder, antacids, dish soap, laundry
soap, plant fertilizer should all be basic. Bases taste bitter and have a "slippery" feel.
3. Fresh milk, tap water, and bottled mineral water should be neutral. Neutral household products
are typically water or water-based, like fresh milk.
150
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Acid-base chemistry has a wide range of important applications across many disciplines. In biology,
for example, fish typically are sensitive to the pH of their environment, and they cannot survive in
water that is very acidic or basic. Humans are another example: we have complex systems in our
bodies that keep our blood in a very narrow range of pH values, otherwise serious illness and even
death can result.
The acidity of a solution is given by its pH value, which is defined as:
= -\ogw[H+\ (1)
where [H+] is the hydrogen ion concentration of the solution in molarity, M (mole L-l).
Common pH values range from 0 to 14: pH 0 is very acidic, pH 14 is very basic, and pH 7 is
chemically neutral. Examples of common acids and bases include soda pop (pH « 3.0), pure water
(pH = 7), and drain cleaner (pH « 13.5). Because pH is a log scale based on 10, a change in 1 pH
unit represents a factor of 10 change in hydrogen ion concentration. Thus a pH 4 solution has
10 times more hydrogen ions than a pH 5 solution. Strong acids have high concentrations of
hydrogen ions, while strong bases have low concentrations of hydrogen ions.
In this exercise, you will measure the pH of vinegar, a common acid, and baking soda, a common
base. Vinegar is a solution of 5% acetic acid (CH3COOH) in water, and baking soda is sodium
bicarbonate (NaHCO3). Subsequently, you observe the reaction between vinegar and baking soda
and measure the pH of the resulting solution.
• Red cabbage juice liquid indicator OR indicator strips
. 50 mL vinegar (5% acetic acid, CH3COOH)
• 1 g baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3)
• 50 mL distilled water
• 2 50 mL beakers
• 1150 mL beaker
1. Pour approximately 50 mL vinegar into a 50 mL beaker. Add 2-3 drops of the liquid red
cabbage juice indicator to the vinegar OR dip one of the indicator strips into the beaker. Use
Figure 1 to determine the approximate pH of the vinegar. Record the approximate pH and any
observations about the vinegar (color, smell) on your Data Sheet.
2. Measure approximately 1 g of baking soda. Place the baking soda in a 50 mL beaker, and add
approximately 50 mL of distilled water. Gently swirl the beaker to dissolve the baking soda and
water. Once the baking soda has completely dissolved, add 2-3 drops of the liquid red cabbage
juice indicator to the baking soda solution OR dip one of the indicator strips into the beaker.
Use Figure 1 to determine the approximate pH of the baking soda. Record the approximate
pH and any observations about the baking soda (color, smell) on your Data Sheet.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual 151
-------
3. Pour the vinegar from the 50 mL beaker into the 150 mL beaker. Then carefully pour the
baking soda solution into the 150 mL beaker with the vinegar. Record your observations of the
reaction between vinegar and baking soda on your Data Sheet. Gently swirl the 150 mL beaker
to facilitate the complete reaction between vinegar and baking soda. After approximately
5 minutes, add 2-3 drops of the liquid red cabbage juice indicator to the solution OR dip one
of the indicator strips into the beaker. Use Figure 1 to determine the approximate pH of the
solution. Record the approximate pH and any observations about the solution (color, smell) on
your Data Sheet.
4. When you are finished with the exercise, clean up your equipment. Clean, rinse, and dry all of
the beakers you used.
acid neutral base
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Figure 1. Colors of Red Cabbage Juice Indicator at Different pH Values
1. What was the approximate pH of the vinegar? Does this pH value make sense, considering
what you know about acids?
2. What was the approximate pH of the baking soda solution? Does this pH value make sense,
considering what you know about bases?
3. Describe what happened when you added the baking soda solution to the vinegar.
4. The reaction between vinegar and baking soda is an example of an acid-base neutralization
reaction. Explain why that name makes sense, given the pH values of the vinegar and baking
soda solution before the reaction compared to the pH of the combined solution after the
reaction.
5. Write out the overall chemical reaction between vinegar (acetic acid) and baking soda (sodium
bicarbonate) that occurred in the neutralization reaction.
152 Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Vinegar
Baking Soda Solution
Combined Solution
(after reaction)
Observations about vinegar:
Observations about baking soda solution:
Observations about reaction between vinegar and baking soda solution:
Observations about combined solution (after reaction):
1. The pH of the vinegar should be around 3, which makes sense because vinegar is an acid,
and pH values < 7 correspond to acids.
2. The pH of the baking soda solution should be around 8, which makes sense because baking
soda is a base, and pH values > 7 correspond to bases.
3. When the students added the baking soda solution to the vinegar, the solution should have
bubbled vigorously. The bubbles are carbon dioxide gas evaporating from solution.
4. The pH of the combined solution, after the neutralization reaction, should be somewhere
between pH 3-8. This is an example of a neutralization reaction because the carbonate ions
in the baking soda solution reacted with the hydrogen ions in the vinegar, thereby reducing the
number of hydrogen ions in solution and neutralising the vinegar. The pH of the combined
solution is higher than the vinegar and lower than the baking soda.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
153
-------
5. The reaction steps between vinegar and baking soda are as follows:
CH3COOH(aq) <-» H+(aq) + CH3COO~(aq) dissociation of acetic acid
NaHCO3(s) —> Na+(aq) + HCO3~(aq) dissolution of sodium bicarbonate
HCO3~(aq) + H+(aq) <-» H2CO3(aq) production of carbonic acid
H2CO3(aq) —> H2O(1) + CO2(g) production of carbon dioxide* and water
CH3COO'M + Na+(aq) -> Na(CH3COO)(s) production of sodium acetate
CH3COOH(aq) + NaHCO3(s) -^ Na(CH3COO)(s) + H2Oa) + CO2(g) OVERALL REACTION
* Carbon dioxide has a low solubility in water (0.03 mol L"1), so once it forms in solution, it quickly
evaporates, which causes the bubbling students observe during the neutralization reaction.
154 Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
In some cases, the educational utility of a chemical can be eclipsed by the hazards it poses to human
health and the environment. Chemicals that are unsuitable for schools include strong oxidizers,
corrosives, toxics, carcinogens, and mutagens. This Appendix lists some examples of chemicals that
are more hazardous than educational, and therefore should be avoided in the classroom.
32
Acrylonitrile
Ammonium chromate
Aniline
Aniline hydrochloride
Anthracene
Antimony trichloride
Arsenic and its
compounds
Asbestos
Benzene
Benzoyl peroxide
Calcium cyanide
Carbon disulfide
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlorine
Chloroform
Chromium hexavalent
compounds
Chromium trioxide
Colchicine
Dimethylaniline
p-Dioxane
Ethylene dichloride
(1,2-Dichloroethane)
Ethylene oxide
107-13-1
7788-98-9
62-53-3
142-04-1
102-12-7
M0025-91-9
various
1332-21-4
71-43-2
LJ^bSj^O^^
592-01-8
75-15-0
56-23-5
7782-50-5
67-66-3
various
1333-82-0
64-86-8
121-69-7
123-91-1
107-06-2
75-21-8
Flammable; likely human carcinogen
Oxidizer; known human carcinogen
Combustible; may be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed
through the skin
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the
skin
Irritant; may cause an allergic skin reaction
Corrosive
Known human carcinogens
Known human carcinogen
Flammable; known human carcinogen and mutagen
Flammable; explosive; oxidizer
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested
Flammable); acute central nervous system toxicity and
peripheral neurotoxicity
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested; likely human carcinogen
Oxidizer; corrosive; may be fatal if inhaled
Likely human carcinogen
Known human carcinogens
Oxidizer; corrosive; known human carcinogen
May be fatal if ingested; mutagen
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the
skin
Flammable; likely human carcinogen
Flammable; likely human carcinogen and mutagen
Flammable; explosive; may be fatal if inhaled or absorbed
through the skin; known human carcinogen
32
[Modified from U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). 2006. School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide.
DHHS (NIOSH) Publication No. 2007-107. hUp/Zwrn.^^^
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
155
-------
Hexachlorophene
Hydrobromic acid
Hydrofluoric acid
Hydrogen
Hydroiodic acid
Lead arsenate
Lead carbonate
Lead(VI) chromate
Lithium, metal
Lithium nitrate
Magnesium, metal
(powder)
Mercury
Mercuric chloride
Methyl iodide
(iodomethane)
Methyl methacrylate
Methyl orange
Methyl red
Nickel, metal
Nickel oxide
Nicotine
Osmium tetroxide
Paris green
Phenol
Phosphorus pentoxide
Phosphorous, red,
white
Phthalic anhydride
Potassium, metal
Potassium oxalate
Potassium sulfide
Pyridine
Selenium
Silver cyanide
70-30-4
1 0035-1 0-6
7664-39-3
1 333-74-0
1003^85^2
7784-40-9
1319=46Z6
7758-97-6
7439^93^
7790^69^4
7439-95-4
7439-97-6
7487-94-7
74-88-4
80=62-6
_547=58=0
493=52£7
^7440^2-0
1314^06^
45-11-5
_20816=12=0
12002-03-8
1 08-95-2
1314^6^3
7723-14-0
85-44-9
744(M)9£7
^583^2-8
1312-73-8
110--86--1
7782-49^
506-64-9
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the
skin; possible teratogen j
Corrosive; may be fatal if inhaled or ingested j
Corrosive; may be fatal if inhaled or ingested (liquid and I
vapor can cause severe burns that are not always I
immediately painful or visible but possibly fatal)
Flammable
Corrosive; may be fatal if inhaled or ingested
Known human carcinogen and teratogen
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested; neurotoxic
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested; known human
carcinogen
Combustible; water reactive
Oxidizer
May ignite spontaneously on contact with water or damp
materials
Corrosive; may be fatal if inhaled or ingested
May be fatal if inhaled; teratogen
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the
skin; potential carcinogen
Flammable; explosive vapors
Possible mutagen
Possible mutagen
Likely human carcinogen and mutagen
Likely human carcinogen and mutagen
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the
skin
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the
skin; known human carcinogen
Combustible liquid and vapor; corrosive; may be fatal if
inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin
Water reactive; corrosive
May ignite spontaneously in air
Combustible; finely dispersed particles form explosive
mixtures in air; corrosive
Flammable; water reactive
Corrosive; may be fatal if ingested
Spontaneously combustible; explosive in dust or powder
form; corrosive
Flammable; possible mutagen
Severe irritant
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the
skin
156
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Silver nitrate
Silver oxide
776J-88-8
20667-12-3
Oxidizer; corrosive; may be fatal if ingested
Oxidize r
Sodium arsenate
Sodium arsenite
7778-43-0
7784-46-5
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested; known human
carcinogen
Known human carcinogen; teratogen
Sodium azide
Sodium chromate
26628-22-8
7775-11-3
Explosive; may be fatal if ingested or absorbed through the
skin
Oxidizer; corrosive; known human carcinogen
Sodium cyanide
Sodium dichromate
Sodium nitrite
Sodium sulfide
Sodium thiocyanide
Stannic chloride
(anhydrous)
Stearjc acid
Strontium
Strontium nitrate
Sulfurjc acid, fuming
Tannic acid
Tetrabromoethane
Thioacetamide
Thiourea
Titanium trjchlorjde
Titanium tetrachloride
grthg-Toluidine
Uranium
Uranyl acetate
Urethane
143-33-9
10588-01-9
540£72£7
7646-78-8
7440^4^ ..........
10042769
J401-55-4
79-27-6
^2-56^6
J7705=OM}
7550-450
.7440^61^1
54.1=09=5
51-79-6
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the
skin
Oxidizer; corrosive; may be fatal if ingested; known human
carcinogen
Oxidizer
Corrosive; may be fatal if inhaled or ingested
Contact with acid liberates toxic gas
Corrosive; hydrochloric acid liberated upon contact with
moisture and heat
May form combustible dust concentration in the air
y\fater reactive
Oxidizer
Corrosive; may be fatal if ingested
Irritant
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the
skin
Likely human carcinogen
Likely human carcinogen
Water reactive; corrosive
Welter [eactive, corrgsive, may be fatal if inhaled
Likely carcinogen and mutagen
Radigactive material
Radioactive material
Combustible; likely human carcinogen
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
157
-------
Often, common laboratory chemicals have commercial equivalents that are available in safer
concentrations than the pure substances sold by chemical manufacturers. This Appendix lists some
oo
examples of chemicals that can be found in grocery, drug, and hardware stores. Although
commercially available chemicals are generally safer than their concentrated counterparts, all
chemicals can be dangerous if they are used without proper safety precautions. Safety measures
should be taken when working with any chemical, including wearing safety glasses, long-sleeved
shirts, pants, and gloves when appropriate.
groceryjstpre
grocery or drug store
drujgjjtore _
acetic acid
acetone
acetyJsalicylic acid
aluminum
aluminum sulfate
ammonia
ammonium carbonate
ammonium chloride
ammonium nitrate
ascorbic acid
boric acid
butane
caffeine
calcium carbonate
calcium chloride
calcium hydroxide
calcium oxide
calcium phosphate
calcium sulfate
carbon
carbon dioxide (solid)
carbonic acid
citric acid
copper
copper sulfate
pentahydrate
ethanol (95% pure)
ethanol (denatured)
ethylene glycol
fructose
glucose
CH3COOH
CHgCOCHs
CgHsC^
Al
AI2(S04)2
NH3(aq)
(NH4)2CC>3
NHUCI '
NHjNOs i
CeHsOe
HsBOs
C^JHho
CsHioN4O2
CaCO3
CaCI2
Ca(OH)2
c§oZZZZIZZZZ
Ca(H2PO4)2
CaSO4
/-\
_Cp2(s]
JHjCOs i
CeHsOy
jcuZZZZZZZZZZZI
CuSO4-5H2O
Cn3Cn2OH
CH3CH2OH
GldbOyCH2OH^^
CgHj^Og
C6Hi2O6
vinegar ( 5% solution) i
nail polish remover i
aspirin i
foil or wire i
flocculating powder i
ammonia cleaner (1 0%) i
smelling salt i
sal ammoniac i
nitrate of ammonia i
vitamin C i
eyewash solution i
roach killer (solid) i
disposable lighter fluid i
No-DozIM tablets |
school/sidewalk chalk i
sidewalk "de-icer" i
slaked lime i
select antacids i
quicklime i
superphosphate i
plaster of Paris i
gypsum i
charcoal, graphite i
dry ice i
seltzer water i
lemons, limes, oranges i
sheet, pipe, or wire i
_^^^ |
"RmfEateP M i
190 proof Everclear' M i
denatured alcohol i
ethyl rubbing alcohol i
antifreeze i
fruit sugar i
dextrose i
store
grocery store
drug^store
drugstore
drug store
drug^store
h a rdwarestore
drug store
d rujLO££
h a rdwarestore
grocery store
h a r^waj^stojB^^
g a rcJen_sujD|D|y_store
a rt/hojbby^shqp^
building supply store
h a r^waj^stojB^^
^a'iy^i§lrJ9ei§t'C)n supply
grocery store
har^w^ine^store
poojj5upplyj>tpre
ha[dware^store
liquor store
har^warejirjpaint shop
drujj_store__
grocery store
drug store
[Modified from Katz, David A. and Thomas O'Brien. 2002. Common Chemicals and Supplies in and around Your Home.
pi//_wwwJ^^
I 58
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
glycerol
helium
hydrochloric acid
hydrogen peroxide
hypochlorous acid
iodine
isopropyl alcohol
iron
iron(lll) chloride
iron (III) oxide
lactic acid
lead
magnesium hydroxide
magnesium sulfate
hepta hydrate
methanol
methylene blue
methyl salicylate
naphthalene
oxalic acid
para-dichlorobenzene
paraffin
phenol red indicator
phosphoric acid
potassium aluminum
sulfate
potassium bitartrate
potassium bromide
potassium carbonate
potassium chloride
potassium dichromate
potassium hydroxide
potassium nitrate
potassium
permanganate
sodium bicarbonate
sodium borate
sodium carbonate
sodium chloride
sodium hydroxide
sodium hypochlorite
sodium nitrate
sodium phosphate
sodium silicate
sodium thiosulfate
C3H8O3
He I
TlCKaq) r
H262
HCIO I
\2
CHsCHCC^^
Fe :
FeCI3 I
F§PlZZZZZZZZT^
C3HeO3
Pb "^
Mg(OH)2
MgSO4-7H2O
^CH3OH '_
CieH-isCNsS
^CgK^pHJCOOCH^ "~
C-ioHs
TioyccOzH
G6H4GI2
Solid hydrocarbon
(formula varies)
C-|9 H-igSOs
H3PO4
KAI(S04)2-12H20
KHC4n4O6
KBr
K2CO3
KCI
K2Cr267
KOH
KNOg
KMnO4
NaHCO3
Na2B4O7
Na2CO3
NaCI
N£oE[ZZZZZZZZZZ
NaCIO
NaNO3
Na3PO4
Na2SiO3
Na2S2O3
glycerin
jhelium
muriatic acid, masonry
cleaner
3% antiseptic peroxide
ClairoxJde76%)
laundry bleach
iodine
rubbing alcohol
uncoated nails, steel wool
ferric chloride
ferric oxide, rust
"sour" milk products such
as yogurt
fishing line sinker
Milk of Magnesia
Epsom salts
methyl or wood alcohol
duplicator fluid
jVlethjdotejiniysepiyc
oil of wintergreen
moth balls
rust remover
radiator cleaner
moth flakes
paraffin wax, candles
swimming pool indicator
pH Down (30% solution)
potassium alum
cream of tartar
potassium bromide
potash
salt substitute
lye, caustic potash
saltpeter
^cie^rwat5r™^aTiarium
cleaner (53% solution)
baking soda
borax
washing soda
uniodized table salt
drain cleaner
bleach (5% solution)
nitrate of soda
trisodium phosphate
water glass
hypo
drug store
party shop
hardware store or lawn
and garden center
drug stores
beauty supply store
grocery store
drugstore
drug store
hardware store
drug store
ceramic shop
grocery store
sporting goods store
drug store
drug store
paint store, camping store j
office supply store j
Jropica[Js|^store |
drug or grocery store j
hardware store j
drug store j
harcJwarejjtore |
hardware store j
grocery store j
swimming pool supply
tropical fish store
photo supply store
grocery store
photo store
agricultural supply store
grocery store
photo supply store
hardware store or ceramic
shop
drug store
tropical fish store
grocery store
grocery store
grocery store
grocery store
hardware or grocery store
grocery store
garden supply store
paint store or garden
supply store
hardware store
photo store
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
159
-------
Lstearic acid
LsjLJcrose
I sulfur
Tin
i zinc
G-171^35002^1
CjatfeOll
s
Sn
"Zn
candle hardener
flowers of sulfur
metal sheets
galvanized nails
hobby shop
lawn & garden shops
hardware or
hardware store
I 60
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
Checklists are often used to clearly identify chemical management actions and to verify that they
have been completed (see basic example below, an excerpt adapted from the Los Angeles Unified
School District "School Laboratory Chemical Hygiene & Safety Plan" ).34
LOS
FOR OF
To be completed by C.S.C.
1. All chemicals are correctly and clearly labeled.
2. Unlabeled containers and chemical wastes have been inventories and a disposal request submitted to OEMS.
3. Only chemicals that are being used are continually being stored.
4. Only the amount of chemicals which can be consumed within a year are being stored.
5. CSC is aware of and has trained others on hazards and precautions for protection prior to using any
chemical, and has reviewed the precautionary labels and contents before using any chemical product.
6. All chemicals are stored by compatibility (see CHSP Appendix IV, Table 1: Chemical Shelf Storage
Identification Chart and Table 2: Storage for Compatibility Categories).
7. Chemicals are stored on shelves below eye level.
8. Chemicals are being stored on the floor.
9. Chemicals are being stored in approved storage cabinets.
10. Neutralizing chemicals, absorbent and other spill control materials are readily available.
11. Compressed gas cylinders are upright and secured to the wall with caps in place.
12. Storage cabinets for corrosive chemicals (separated for acids and for bases) are appropriately labeled.
13. Flammable materials are stored in approved storage cabinets.
14. Shelving is equipped with lips to prevent products from rolling off shelves and secured to walls/floor
to prevent tipping of entire sections.
15. Storage areas/cabinets are labeled to identify the hazardous nature of the products stored within.
16. Class ABC fire extinguishers are available in chemical storage areas and are in working order.
17. There are no sources of ignition in the chemical storage area.
18. Chemical storage area has two exits and egress (exiting) area is clear.
19. Used and contaminated reagents are stored and labeled properly.
20. Current and dated inventory lists are posted clearly in each storage room throughout the science department.
21. Chemical storage cabinets are locked when laboratory classes are not in session.
Certification: I hereby certify that I have completed all of the above activities in fulfillment of my responsibilities as the Chemical Safety
Coordinator (CSC) for my school.
Date
School
CSC Signature
CSC Name (print)
CSC — Chemical Safety Coordinator, OEHS— Office of Environmental Health and Safety
34 Los Angeles Unified School District's Chemical Hygiene Program, hljjii//a^^Jaiisd^)ehSiOrg/(^ieniicaLhyff£neias}). Accessed 28
March 2008
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
161
-------
for a
The first step in developing a comprehensive chemical health and safety plan is to inventory existing
chemicals. This may pose significant risks to the individuals taking the inventory and ample time
should be allowed to properly conduct the inventory. In some cases an inventory may take two
people 100 hours to complete, therefore it is important not to underestimate the amount of time
required to complete the inventory. Administrators may not be aware of the time commitment and
the importance of an accurate inventory, therefore it is very important to educate them to the extent
of the problem. Many schools have provided stipends to inventory chemicals. If you are new to the
school and/or a recent inventory has not been conducted you need to be especially cautious. Serious
injury can result from touching or moving chemicals that have become shock sensitive or
pressurized. The following procedure is suggested.
In most cases, the inventory will need to be used to generate a disposal list and to determine the
quality of the chemicals to be retained. Hazardous waste removal companies require very specific
information. Therefore, it is important to include as much information about the chemical to avoid
unexpected price changes. For example, anhydrous aluminum chloride is much more expensive to
dispose of than is hydrated aluminum chloride. In developing a disposal list it is important to list the
proper chemical name, the size of the container and the approximate amount present.
1. Allow ample time to conduct the inventory.
2. Have a plan to deal with potential explosives if they are found. Will the local or state bomb
squad remove the potential explosives? What agencies need to be alerted? What is the procedure
for removal of potential explosives? Will the school have to close until the chemical is removed?
3. Work in pairs and never work alone. It is best if one team does the entire inventory.
4. Be sure the areas in which you are working have adequate lighting.
5. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment. This should include gloves, chemical splash
goggles, a lab apron and closed toed shoes.
6. Provide access to a phone, eyewash and a safety shower.
7. Develop a written response plan in case of a spill or accident.
8. One person should act as the recorder and the other person should list the chemicals. Be sure to
pronounce the chemical correctly; the recorder should read the chemical name after it is
recorded to confirm it is correct.
35 Reproduced from ChemlnfoNet, hllp://chemiriforieL.on?/invent.him. Accessed March 31, 2008.
162 Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
9. Enter the storage area and develop a general feel for the area. Is this a room in which no one has
been in five years? Are there obvious vapors; are broken containers present? Are the shelving
units secured to the walls? How is the lighting? If above eye level storage is present use a safety
step stool or a small stepladder to reach the top shelf.
10. Record the room number and the date on your record sheet. Also indicate where in the room
the inventory begins. Starting on the top shelf record the name of each chemical, the size of the
container, the type of container, the approximate amount of chemical present, the condition of
the container (i.e. rust, cracks, degraded top, bulging, liquid above a solid, crystals in a liquid), the
presence of spills, defects in the shelving or its supports, corroded wires or gas lines or any other
indicator of a hazard present. Do not touch or move chemicals if they are listed as potential
explosives or the container appears distorted in any manner. Serious injury can occur from
merely touching the top of a container of picric acid or expired ethyl ether. Use extreme
caution not to knock a container to the floor.
11. Be sure you record all containers and record as much information as possible. For example, if
ethyl ether is present record its lot number, expiration date and the manufacturer. Do not touch
the container. You only want to conduct the inventory once and you want to gather as much
information as possible. If the inventory is conducted over several days be sure you mark where
you stopped at the end of the day.
12. If kits are present be sure to inventory all chemicals in each kit. Many older kits may contain
unlabeled chemicals with only manufacturer's numbers on them. Although kits are particularly
time consuming to inventory, each container must be identified. Record the manufacturer, the
chemical number, and the size of the container and any information concerning the
manufacturer such as phone number and address as well as the kit identification number. Do
not ignore the kits; many contain carcinogens such as cadmium powder or toxic chemicals such
as sodium azide.
13. If preserved specimens are present, record the preservative used. Contact the supplier to
determine if the specimens are capable of outgassing formaldehyde. Most specimens contain
some formaldehyde.
14. Be sure to examine all areas in each room including desks. For example, a Maine school was shut
down for three days after students stole a pound of mercury from a teacher's desk.
15. Once the inventory is developed, the next step is to decide if any immediate response is
required. Does any chemical present pose a significant risk if not addressed immediately? This is
a difficult question to answer particularly if potentially explosive chemicals are present. If you
have a chemical health and safety committee or a chemical hygiene/safety officer they should
discuss the situation with the principal and the local fire chief. If the situation does not warrant
immediate action review the procedure outlined in chemical management.
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual 163
-------
School laboratories generally use a variety of corrosive, oxidizing, and flammable chemicals. Many
chemicals are incompatible and should not be stored together. Table 1 gives an example of what
types of chemicals to store separately in a small stockroom to ensure maximum safety.
1. of for a
Inorganic Shelves
Organic Shelves
Flammable Storage
Cabinet
jsulfjjj^iosghm
Jialides^sulfates^sulfitesjhio^
j3ulfides,j>elenides^
j^JTydroxides,^
nitrates, nitrites, borates, chromates, manganates, permanganates, chlorates, chlorites,
peroxides
J|fryjindj|lut^^
__^^mic_peroxidesL^izides
epqxyj;om|3oundsj^
inorganic
hydrocarbons, ethers, ketones, amines, halogenated hydrocarbons, aldehydes, alcohols, glycols,
phenoLcresoLcorr^^
Corrosive Acid Cabinet inorganic^acids
Corrosive Base Cabinet concenfratedJn^ani^hY^TOides
* Keep water reactive metals away from aqueous solutions and alcohols. Use secondary containers to separate yellow
and white phosphorus, which are stored under water, from water-reactive metals.
The following outlines what to do and NOT to do to ensure safe storage of school chemicals.36
IS
Maintain an inventory of all chemicals in the school.
Store all chemicals in a designated storage cabinet.
Store incompatible chemicals separately.
Anchor flammable storage cabinets to the wall.
Keep a Class ABC fire extinguisher (capable or extinguishing fires of solid materials, flammable
liquids, and electrical/wiring fires) in the room where chemicals are stored.
Keep chemical containers closed when not in use to avoid accidental spills.
Clearly label all containers with the name and concentration of the chemical; chemical formulas
are not sufficient.
Regularly check the expiration date of chemicals and dispose of any outdated chemicals.
Do not store chemicals in hoods, under sinks, or on bench tops!
Do not store flammable liquids in refrigerators or freezers!
Do not store chemicals that must be refrigerated in coolers that contain food! Use separate
coolers for chemicals only, and label them "no food."
Do not use chemicals in containers that are unlabeled! If you find an unlabeled chemical
container, notify an appropriate school official, and treat the container as hazardous!
36 Adapted from The King County Laboratory Waste Management Guide (http://www.govlink.org/ha2waste/
pub lications/LabGuidelinesRevAugus t06.pdf)
I 64
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
-------
or at 1
- for all
fit
on the
1 roll of
1
1
1 of
1
1 of
for or
in
The following procedure should be followed for the
clean-up of a small mercury spill (about the amount
of mercury in one thermometer). For larger spills,
work with your local hazardous waste agency or a
qualified mercury cleanup contractor to evaluate the
need for their assistance.
1. Designate 2 to 3 adults (who have undergone
training on mercury spill clean-up) to clean up
the mercury spill. These individuals will be the
"Cleanup Team."
2. The Cleanup Team should determine if anyone
involved in the spill has become contaminated
with mercury on their clothes, shoes, or skin.
Contaminated individuals should remain where
they are to avoid spreading mercury to other
areas. They will be decontaminated by the
Cleanup Team.
3. Everyone who is not contaminated or helping
with the cleanup, including children and pets, should leave the area immediately.
Be careful when evacuating — make sure no one walks through the mercury spill!
4. Open all windows and doors to the outside and allow fresh air to ventilate the area of the spill.
Close doors to other parts of the building.
5. Retrieve the Mercury Spill Cleanup Kit from its storage location.
6. All Cleanup Team members should put on rubber or latex gloves.
7. If any individuals have been contaminated with mercury on their clothes, shoes, or skin, the
Cleanup Team must decontaminate them. Help the contaminated individuals remove
contaminated clothing and/or shoes very carefully so as to avoid dislodging and spreading
attached mercury. Place the contaminated clothing and/or shoes into one of the large plastic
trash bags. Use the sticky side of a piece of duct tape to carefully remove any mercury that may
be clinging to exposed skin. Use a new piece of duct tape for each area of exposed skin. Place
the pieces of duct tape with adhered mercury into a 1 L plastic bag, fold the top of the bag over
on itself, tape it shut, and place it in the large trash bag with the contaminated clothes.
Individuals should use the clean clothes and shoes in the Mercury Spill Cleanup Kit to replace
their contaminated items. As soon as individuals are decontaminated, they should evacuate the
area, being careful not to walk through the mercury spill.
8. Cleanup Team members should now turn their attention to the mercury spill. Carefully pick up
any pieces of broken glass or other items mixed in with the mercury spill and place them on a
paper towel. Be sure not to dislodge any mercury that may be clinging to these broken items.
37 Adapted from EPA's Mercury Spill Page: http://www.epa.gov/iiieiT.iiry/spills/iiidex.litni
Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
165
-------
Carefully fold the paper towel and place it in one of the 1 L plastic bags. Fold the top of the bag
over on itself and tape it shut. Place the sealed 1 L plastic bag in one of the large trash bags.
9. Mercury is very difficult to remove from fabric items such as carpet, furniture, and draperies.
If mercury has spilled on these items, it is preferable to remove the entire item from the
building, being earful not to dislodge and distribute the adhering mercury. When removing the
entire fabric item is not possible, such as in the case of wall-to-wall carpeting, cut out the
contaminated area, being careful not to dislodge and spread adhering mercury. Place the
contaminated items in a large trash bag.
10. If mercury has spilled on a hard surface, such as wood, tile, or linoleum, locate the visible
mercury beads. Line the bottom of the plastic bowl with a damp paper towel. Use the
eyedropper or small plastic pipette to carefully suck up visible mercury beads and drop them on
the damp paper towel in the plastic bowl. Mercury is fairly viscous, so it can flow quickly over
hard surfaces; thus it is important to carefully collect mercury beads without dislodging them.
Use the flashlight to illuminate the floor at an angle in order to locate all mercury beads. Be sure
to scan the entire area since mercury can travel long distances on hard surfaces. When you have
removed all of the visible mercury beads, carefully place the plastic bowl containing the mercury
into a 1 L plastic bag, fold the top of the bag over on itself and tape it shut. Place the
eyedropper or small plastic pipette into a separate 1 L plastic bag, fold the top of the bag over
on itself and tape it shut. Place the sealed 1 L plastic bags in one of the large trash bags.
11. After you have removed all the visible beads, carefully press the sticky side of a piece of duct
tape on the surface of the spill to remove any small, less visible beads. Use a new piece of duct
tape for each area of the spill. Carefully place the pieces of duct tape with adhered mercury into
a 1 L plastic bag, fold the top of the bag over on itself and tape it shut. Place the sealed 1 L
plastic bag in one of the large trash bags.
12. After the Cleanup Team has completely cleaned up the spill, all Team members should remove
their gloves and place them in one of the large trash bags. If any clothes or shoes have become
contaminated with mercury, they should also be placed in one of the large trash bags. Then the
tops of the large trash bags should be carefully folded over and completely sealed with duct tape.
Label the trash bags: "HAZARDOUS! CONTAINS ELEMENTAL MERCURY!" in large,
clearly visible letters.
13. Remove the bags containing the contaminated items to a safe holding place outside of the
school or house. Consult your local waste disposal agency or a private hazardous waste disposal
company for guidance on how to safely dispose of the bags containing the contaminated items.
Keep the windows open to the outside for at least 24 hours to allow any traces of mercury vapor to
dissipate from the building. Continue to keep children and pets out of the spill area for at least
24 hours. If anyone present during the spill begins to feel ill, seek medical attention immediately.
166 Teachers and School Administrators Participant's Manual
------- |