February 2006

In This Tool Kit

•	Maintaining an
Inventory

•	Chemical Purchasing

•	Chemical Storage

•	Labeling

•	Waste Minimization
and Pollution
Prevention

•	Laboratory Ventilation

•	Personal Protective
Equipment

•	Preventing Spills

•	Other Tools and
Resources

This tool kit is designed
for teachers and students
of the science laboratory.
School administrators,
science department
personnel, janitorial staff,
and others who have an
interest and involvement
in the laboratory would
also benefit from the
information contained
within this tool kit.

Contact Us

U.S. EPA Region 8

1-800-227-8917

For More Information

www.epa.gov/schools/

Pollution Prevention
Measures for Safer
School Laboratories

U.S. EPA Region 8 INFORMATION KIT
EPA 908-F-06-002

School Science Laboratories

Hands-on activities are an essential part of school science. Activities
conducted in school laboratories are important if students are to learn the
processes of science and have direct experiences that capture their
interest and maintain their motivation. A school's lab environment,
however, can be unsafe to students and school personnel due to the
presence of unknown and toxic chemicals, or excessive stocks of these
materials. Poor management and use of chemicals may also result in risks
to human health and the environment.

Young people are at particular risk to the hazards of chemicals because

•	They may be affected by lower levels of exposure than adults

•	Their immune systems are not as well developed as those of adults

•	Their health risks can be greater because some toxic chemicals
accumulate in the body over long periods of time

•	They may be more easily distracted and may not pay careful
attention to safety precautions or instructions, and

•	They are less experienced than adults and more likely to behave
unpredictably.

This tool kit provides guidelines and tips for preventing and controlling
risks, avoiding future build-up of undesirable chemicals, reducing waste
generation, and maintaining a safe school laboratory environment.

The following sections address issues that need to be considered in the
management of materials used in science teaching.

Maintaining Your Chemical Inventory

You should establish and implement a plan for purchasing and managing
laboratory chemicals to prevent accumulating excess and
undesirable ones. Inventories enable you to determine the
existence of a specific chemical, its location, and approximate
shelf age, thus helping to control the hazards in your
laboratory.

i- Maintain a complete, and current inventory of all
chemicals, including location, chemical names,

rV\oOLs

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Common Problem
Chemicals in Schools
(www.cdphe. state,
co. us/cp)

Click on "Guidance on
Chemical Management in
Schools," then "List of
common hazards..."

Excessive Risk

Chemicals (King County,

Washington)

(www.govlink.org/

hazwaste/publications/

highrisktable.pdf)

amounts, and dates of entrance to your school;

4- Update the inventory when chemicals are purchased or used up,
and inventory your entire stock at least once a year;

4- If possible, centralize purchasing of your chemicals through one
person;

4- Develop purchase guidelines, which include buying chemicals in the
smallest quantities needed, or only a one to two-year supply;

4- Establish a policy for restricting the acceptance of donated

chemicals unless they meet a specific need during a defined period
of time (preferably within a year);

4- If your regulatory authority has a list of prohibited and or restricted
chemicals, ensure that these materials are not purchased;

4- Consider obtaining needed chemicals from another laboratory that
may not need them or has them in excess;

4- Ensure your chemical supplier provides you an MSDS for every
chemical that is purchased, and that it is maintained in the
laboratory files.

Chemical Purchasing

Careful consideration should be given to purchasing chemicals for your
laboratory to avoid common problem chemicals and excess stocks.

4- Create an authorized use list of those chemicals
that can be purchased in the school. Be
conscious of avoiding shock sensitive and
explosive materials, and be aware of the top 40
chemicals found to be a problem in many schools
(see links to chemical lists on left).

•1 Select a chemical supplier who can deliver small amounts of
chemicals and accept unopened chemicals that are returned,
thereby supporting waste minimization efforts;

>1 Remember that a chemical's true cost includes the purchase price
plus the cost of proper disposal.



Storing Chemicals

By understanding and following these guidelines and precautions, you can

ensure that your laboratory's chemical storage area
is safe for use in science and chemistry instruction.

4- Designate a safe and secure area for

chemical storage. This will provide an area
that reduces the risks of breakage and spills
It is recommended that the storage area be

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Safe Handling,
Identification of
Peroxide Formers
(www.ehs.pitt.edu/waste/
Peroxide%20Forming%
20Chemicals.pdf)

Peroxide-Forming
Chemicals

(http://ehs.missouri.edu/
chem/peroxide. html)

Flinn MSDS Sheets for
Science Instructors:
(www.flinnsci.com/
search_MSDS.asp)

ventilated, locked, and fire-resistant.

i- Limit access to your chemical storage areas to authorized personnel
only;

4- Keep chemicals in the storage area except when in use;

i- Keep chemical storage areas clean and orderly at all times;

4- Post signs for hazardous chemical storage;

i- Store chemicals in containers designed for chemical storage and
appropriate for each type of chemical; ensure that lids are tight;

i- Store chemicals at or below eye level;

J- Do not store chemicals alphabetically. Store them by chemical
group (chemical class/reactive group) to keep incompatible
chemicals away from each other. Make sure your organization
ensures vertical and horizontal compatibility, as well as compliance
with the local fire code. Appropriate measures may include
separation by shelving, and or the use of secondary containment
such as clean tubs, buckets, and trays. The following provides
some general guidelines for storage:

V	Keep acids separate from bases

V	Keep organic acids separate from inorganic acids (nitric acid
from formic acid, acetic acid, and anhydrides)

V	Keep ionitables separate from oxidizers or sources of
ignition, especially solvents

V	Keep flammable liquids separate from corrosives (except
acetic acid - store with flammables)

V	Keep pvrophorics separate from flammables and corrosives

V	Keep oxidizing agents separate from reducing agents

V	Keep halooenated solvents separate from non-halooenated
solvents

V	Keep water reactives separate from aoueous sources. Do
not store them under the sink.

4- Check chemical containers for the formation of peroxides. In glass
bottles, peroxides may be visible as distinct crystals; in metal cans,
particularly deteriorating ones, peroxidation should be presumed.
These materials are highly explosive, and should be handled with
extreme caution by qualified individuals, such as fire department
personnel. Peroxide-forming chemicals should be stored in sealed,
airtight containers with tight-fitting caps, and checked periodically
for peroxide formation.

i- Do not use standard refrigerators to store flammable chemicals;
only refrigerators of explosion-proof or explosion-safe design
should be used.

i- Do not store food in chemical-containing refrigerators; label these
refrigerators with signs that say "no food allowed."

4- Keep current material safety data sheets (MSDSs) for every
chemical that is being stored in order to understand storage

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A Guide to MSDS Sheets
(www. hazardouswaste.
utah.gov/ADOBE/
p2factsheets/MSDS.pdf)

Mercury in Schools

(www.epa.gov/mercury/

schools.htm)

requirements, hazardous characteristics, and health and safety
information. Flinn Scientific is a resource for over 1300 updated
MSDSs written specifically for science instructors teaching at a
middle school, high school or community college.

J- Follow instructions for recommended shelf-lives of chemicals, since
chemicals can become more hazardous with age;

i- Eliminate from storage all chemicals that are beyond their shelf life,
that are unusable, unneeded, deteriorated, and or excess. Also,
take steps to eliminate chemicals that are shock-sensitive,
explosive, and highly toxic. Use caution since old chemicals may
be unstable. For example, the self-life for potassium metal is three
(3) months because it forms peroxides and becomes unstable.

i- Check chemical containers periodically for rust, corrosion, and
leakage.

Mercury and its compounds, both organic and inorganic, are health
hazards. The most harmful exposure occurs through inhalation, but it is
also harmful by absorbance through the skin. Production of mercury
vapor is heightened by heating mercury or by subdividing which occurs
during a spill. Laboratory sources of mercury include, among others,
thermometers, manometers (barometers), lamps, and batteries.

±- EPA encourages schools to discontinue use of and remove all
mercury compounds and mercury-containing equipment.

Labeling

Proper labeling is a simple and effective way to reduce many of the
environmental hazards and costs associated with chemicals used in the
laboratory. Proper labeling also decreases the risk of accidents and
injuries.

•1 Label all chemicals to ensure proper identification. Use labels that
are colorfast and permanent, and re-label as necessary.

i- When organizing your storage area(s), check for and label
mislabeled and unlabeled chemicals only if you are sure of their
identity. For substances that are unknown, plan to eliminate them
by following appropriate waste management procedures (refer to
the "Hazardous Waste Management for School Laboratories" tool
kit).

•1 Label all chemicals with the date they are received so that older
ones will be used first (first in, first out);

i- Label all peroxide-forming chemicals with the date they are opened
and the date they will expire:

i- Routinely inspect your chemicals and maintain legible labels.

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Laboratory Waste
Minimization and
Pollution Prevention: A
Guide for Teachers
(Chapter 8)

(www. p2pays. org/ref/01 /
text/00779/index2. htm)

National Microscale
Chemistry Center at
Merrimack College
(www. microscale .org)
(978)837-5137
315 Turnpike St.
N. Andover, MA 01845

National Small Scale
Chemistry Center at
Colorado State
University

(www.smallscalechemistry
.colostate.edu)

Microscale Lab - Journal
of Chemical Education
(http://jchemed.chem.
wisc.edu/aboutjce/
features/ML)

Free Reference Manual,
Ideas, and Information
for Science Teachers
(www.flinnsci.com/
Sections/F reebies/
flinnFreebies.asp)

Least Toxic Chemistry
Labs: Topical Units for
Instruction
(www.govlink.org/
hazwaste/sc hoo lyo u th/
rehab/labs, htm)

Rehab the Bio Lab
(www.govlink.org/
hazwaste/publications/
rehabbio.pdf)

Green Chemistry -
Greener Education
Materials

(http://greenchem.
uoregon.edu/gems.html)

Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention

To reduce potential hazards in your laboratory and the costs and potential
liability incurred for waste management, minimize the
generation of wastes and implement pollution
prevention measures. While students are increasingly
sensitive to the environment, they often do not realize
how their concerns translate into specific practices that
cumulatively can make a big difference.

m *

gr

t

4- Consider the use of microscale techniques, which use less

chemicals than traditional experiments. Microscale chemistry, also
known as small scale chemistry, is a method of performing
chemical processes using small quantities of chemicals without
compromising the quality and standard of chemical applications in
education and industry. Microscale procedures and equipment
result in smaller quantities of waste, are safer, and teach careful
laboratory techniques. They decrease the risk of fire and
explosion, reduce the exposure to harmful vapors, are more
economical, and less bulky to store.

4- Include waste management and waste reduction/pollution
prevention as part of the students' laboratory experience and
training. One idea is to have your students research waste
minimization techniques as part of an experiment's curriculum to
identify ways to minimize use of hazardous chemicals or generation
of hazardous byproducts.

4- Waste minimization begins when planning an experiment. Consider
the kind and quantity of waste that will be generated and adjust
the experimental design to minimize it.

4- Consider preparing pre-measured amounts of chemical for an
experiment into vials for each student to minimize waste and save
time during the class period;

4- Consider using classroom demonstrations for some of the most
hazardous experiments instead of individual-based experiments;

4- Consider the application of green chemistry principles. Green
chemistry is the redesign of chemical transformations and
processes to reduce or eliminate the use of materials that are
hazardous to human health and the environment.

4- Monitor experimental reactions closely and add additional chemicals
only as necessary;

4- Use solvents and other hazardous chemicals sparingly;

4- Consider cyclic experiments where the product of one reaction
becomes the starting material for the next experiment;

4- Look into the possibility of including detoxification and/or
neutralization steps in laboratory experiments;

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Laboratory Waste
Minimization and
Pollution Prevention: A
Guide for Teachers
(Chapter 9)

(www. p2pays. org/ref/01 /
text/00779/index2. htm)

Current literature contains
numerous references to
these types of
substitutions.

Materials & Waste
Exchanges

(www.epa.gov/jtr/comm/
exchange.htm)

Lab Hood Safe Practices
(www. uwm.edu/Dept/
EHSRM/LAB/fume.html)

Guides to Perform a
Hood Evaluation:

ANSI/AIHA Z9.5-2003
American National
Standard Laboratory
Ventilation

(www.aiha.org/webapps/
commerce/product.aspx?
id=LVEA03-4378tcat=
Features&subcat=)

ANSI/ASHRAE 110-1995
Method of Testing
Performance of
Laboratory Fume Hoods
(webstore.ansi.org/
ansidocstore/product.asp?
sku=ANSI/ASHRAE+110
-1995)

i- When cleaning with solvent, reuse the spent solvent for the initial
cleaning, and use the fresh solvent only for the final cleaning;

i- Consider substituting less hazardous chemicals for the more
hazardous ones, for example:

o Use detergents and hot water, enzymatic cleaners, or
aqueous solvents for cleaning glassware instead of bases,
ethanol, or acids
o Use vinegar and ammonia instead of hazardous acids and
bases, respectively, for acid and base experiments;

J- Recover metals for recycling or reuse by precipitation;

i- Teach and practice resource efficiency:

o Conserve water by reducing rinse times where possible
o Save electricity by turning off equipment when it is not
being used;

4- Examine your excess chemicals and waste to determine if there are
chemical and or waste exchange networks, or uses within other
laboratories within your school system;

i- For substances from laboratory experiments that must be disposed
of, please refer to the "Hazardous Waste Management for School
Laboratories and Classrooms" (EPA 908-F-06-001) tool kit that
compliments this document for guidelines on proper waste
management.

Laboratory Ventilation

Laboratory ventilation or engineering controls reduce airborne
concentrations of hazardous chemicals. In a science laboratory, this is
typically accomplished with a bench-top laboratory hood. The use of
engineering controls is extremely effective in minimizing exposures to
hazardous materials and is the preferred method for reducing exposures.
Work with hazardous chemicals should always be conducted in a
laboratory hood that has been evaluated for satisfactory performance in
the past year, while using proper hood use practices.

4- Know the toxicity and hazardous properties of chemicals and
handle them accordingly;

-4 Look for an evaluation certificate that has been completed within
the past twelve (12) months that shows 80 to 120 fpm (feet per
minute) face velocity;

4- Work at least six (6) inches inside of the hood;

4- Lower the hood sash as much as possible;

4- Keep the hood clear of clutter;

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OSHA's Personal
Protective Equipment
Fact Sheet

(www. os ha. gov/Os h Doc/
data_Ge ne ral_F acts/
ppe-factsheet. pdf)

Best Manufacturing
Company's

Comprehensive Guide to
Chemical Resistant
Best Gloves
(www.chemrest.com)

Ansell Chemical
Resistance Guide
(www.ansell-edmont.com)

Scroll down and click "View
the 7th Edition Chemical
Resistance Guide"

Oklahoma State
University Laboratory
PPE

(www.pp.okstate.edu/

ehs/modules/ppe/

index.htm)

Harvard University PPE
(www. uos.harvard.edu/
ehs/lp_ppe.shtml)

i- Elevate large equipment at least two (2) inches above the base of
the hood to allow for proper air flow;

4- Avoid rapid movements in front of the hood;

i- Do not adjust the baffles.

i- Do not use the hood for chemical storage or chemical disposal
(through evaporation).

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment (PPE) can be defined as equipment worn to
minimize exposure to physical and health hazards. PPE doesn't replace
engineering controls like functioning fume hoods or good work practices.
Instead, PPE must be used in combination with engineering controls and
good work practices by anyone who is conducting school laboratory
experiments.

^ ~

^	1 Common PPE in the laboratory includes eye

t - ""	1 (safety glasses with side shields), hand (gloves),

I ¦' N	and body protection (laboratory coat).

i- Wear closed toed shoes in areas where chemicals are used or
stored.

Prevention and Clean Up of Spills

Spills are inevitable in the school laboratory. Proper prevention planning
can help minimize their incidence and decrease exposures that are
hazardous to teachers and students.

4- Develop a plan with procedures to prevent and clean up spills so
that administrators, teachers, and students know what to do if an
incident occurs;

i- Ensure all persons who handle chemicals are familiar with spill
plans;

i- Use proper containers for dispensing solids and liquids. Solids
should be contained in wide-mouthed bottles and liquids in
containers that have drip-proof lids.

i- Maintain spill kits (absorbents, neutralizers) and procedures for
major hazardous chemical classes, such as acids, bases, and
organics. Some general guidelines include the following:

a.	Acids - use powdered sodium bicarbonate

b.	Organic acids, halides, nonmetallic compounds, inorganic
acids - use slaked lime and soda ash

c.	General spills - use commercial absorbents, spill kits, or

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Mercury in Schools

(www.epa.gov/mercury/

schools.htm)

Environmental
Management Systems
(www.epa.gov/ems/
index.html)

School Pilot EMS
Projects

(www. epa. gov/N E/e ms/
projects. html#k)

Evaluation of EPA New
England's EMS Pilot
Efforts for K-12 Schools
(www.epa.gov/evaluate/
K-12_report_0ct2004c.
pdf)

Healthy School
Environments
Assessment Tool
(www. epa. gov/sc hoo Is/
healthyseat)

small particles of clay absorbents (kitty litter)
d. Mercury (if mercury-containing equipment is used) - use a
specialized, commercially available spill kit. Never use a
broom or commercial vacuum cleaner, and do not pour
mercury down the drain. See EPA's website on mercury for
spill clean-up instructions and precautions.

i- If possible, contain areas where spills are likely to occur to help
limit the affected area. For example, use trays for secondary
containment of liquids that are being stored. Other examples of
secondary containment are clear heavyweight bags and clean,
empty paint cans for containers of very hazardous and toxic
chemicals.

Other Tools and Resources

Other tools that may be useful resources for your school include
Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and the Healthy School
Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT).

An Environmental Management System (EMS) is a continual cycle of
planning, implementing, reviewing and improving the processes and
actions that an organization undertakes to meet its business and
environmental goals. Most EMSs are built on the "Plan, Do, Check, Act"
model. An EMS can result in many benefits, including enhancing
compliance and improving environmental performance, reducing risks,
increasing efficiency and reducing costs, among many others.

4- The elements of an EMS are flexible by design to accommodate a
wide range of organizational types and sizes, such as your school.

4- An EMS provides a structured approach to evaluating activities of
your school that impact the environment, and then planning and
taking action to reduce those impacts. It is a continual cycle of
planning, implementing, reviewing, and improving practices to
meet established goals.

+- Much of what you have in place now can be incorporated into an
EMS.

The Healthy School Environments Assessment Tool (HealthySEAT) was
developed by the EPA to help school districts evaluate and manage their
school facilities for key environmental, safety, and health issues. This free
downloadable software tool is designed to be customized and used by
district-level staff to conduct voluntary self-assessments of their school
facilities, and to track and manage information on environmental
conditions school by school.

i- HealthySEAT contains a fully integrated environmental health and
safety checklist that is designed to be easily customized to reflect
state and local requirements and policies.

4- EPA has included critical elements of all of its regulatory and
voluntary programs for schools, as well as web links to more
detailed information.

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References

American Chemical Society (2002). Less is Better: Guide to minimizing
waste in laboratories.

Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories, Battelle Seattle Research Center.
Laboratory Waste Minimization and Pollution Prevention: A Guide for
Teachers.

Chase, J. (1995) Blueprint for a Green School. Scholastic, Inc. New
York.

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Consumer
Protection Division. Guidance on Chemical Management in Schools.

Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment, Consumer
Protection Division. Self Assessment Tool for Determining Compliance
with the Rules and Regulations Governing Schools in the State of
Colorado.

Davis, J., and K. Runkle (2004). Reducing the Risk of Chemical Exposures
in Schools. Journal of Environmental Health. Vol. 68, No. 5, pp. 9-13.

Flinn Scientific, Inc. (2005). Laboratory Chemical Safety articles.
www.flinnsci.com/

Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County. Rehab the
Lab. www.govlink.org/hazwaste/schoolyouth/rehab/labs.htm

Maryland Science Safety Manual. VII. Chemicals: Managing, Handling
and Disposing.

OhioEPA (1997). Research and Educational Laboratory Waste Reduction.
Fact sheet.

Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission. Pollution Prevention
Guide for Laboratories.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Division of Environmental
Health and Safety, Chemical Safety Division. Waste Minimization Fact
Sheet - No. 1. 101 Ways to Reduce Hazardous Waste in the Laboratory.

University of Missouri - Columbia, Environmental Health & Safety.
Chemical Safety: Peroxide Forming Chemicals.

University of Pittsburgh. Safe Handling and Disposal of Peroxide Forming
Chemicals.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, www.epa.gov/

Utah Department of Environmental Quality. Laboratories Pollution
Prevention Fact Sheet.

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Please Note: The inclusion of non-EPA links and their content does not
necessarily reflect the views and policies of the EPA, nor does the mention
of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or
recommendation for use. These links are included to maximize the utility
the Internet provides and to better fulfill our role as information provider
and disseminator.

Author: Kendra A. Morrison, U.S. EPA Region 8

Front page graphic (American Indian medicine wheel): Frank Sherwood,
U.S. EPA Region 8

Author, Laboratory Ventilation and PPE Sections: Kevin Borud, Roche
Colorado

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