Safer Curriculum Chemical Management in Schools Karen Teliha Indiana Dept. of Environmental Management Office of Pollution Prevention & Technical Assistance Slides and graphics used with permission from US EPA.

Think your school lab is safe? Are You Sure? – Unlabeled “Mystery” Chemicals – Heavy Containers on High Shelves – Outdated Chemicals – Incompatible Storage (corrosives on metal/flammables on wood) – Unlocked/Easily Accessible Storage

Why might schools have difficulty properly managing chemicals? Lack of training Lack of system Lack of “somebody in charge” (add-on duty) Inherited chemicals Spend it or lose it monies Lack of communication across Academic, Administrative, & Facilities departments Facilities often not built for handling chemicals (ventilation, storage problems) Lack of funds/planning for disposal costs

Chemical Storage What you may be doing now… – Storing Chemicals Alphabetically – Could result in incompatible chemicals stored next to each other A safer alternative… – Storing by Chemical Group – All nitrates together, sulfates together (can be alphabetical within their groups)

Alphabetical Storage – Problems with Incompatibility

Incompatible Storage Shelves

Chemical Inventory Having a good inventory system helps to properly manage/maintain a safer lab. – By knowing what you have, you can use it more efficiently – Helps teachers track what they use each year versus what can be disposed of – Helps teachers organize chemicals by their properties (flammability, reactivity, acids)

Material Safety Data Sheets Recommend a binder A copy in the lab A copy in the school office

Labeling

Stockpiling/Overpurchasing

The Dirty Dozen Barium chloride Benzene Carbon disulfide Carbon tetrachloride Cyanide compounds Formaldehyde Hydrofluoric acid Mercury & compounds Picric acid Potassium metal Sodium metal Thermit

Mercury Remove from your school lab: – Bulk Mercury – Mercury Containing Equipment (thermometers) Call Emergency Response if a Mercury Spill is suspected: – outside 317 Area Code inside 317 Area Code

Unlocked Storage

Longer Term Goals 1. Develop a chemical management system – Purchase – Storage, including labeling – Use, including labeling – Disposal – Emergency Planning – spills, explosions, accidents

2. Use safer chemicals & less too – Order min quantities, consistent with use – Try to keep only 1 year’s worth stock – Prohibit certain chemicals, period. (hazard potential outweighs educational potential?)

3. Order “safer” alternatives, packaging, dilutions, kits – Green chemistry – Microscale approaches (e.g. spot plates instead of test tubes) 4. Centralize inventory/purchasing

5. Regularly budget for removals (Cradle to grave) 6.Address chemical issues in context with other environmental concerns - As science teachers, it’s important we’re not only teaching chemistry/biology, but also teaching about being safe.

Resources School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Material Safety Data Sheets Flinn Scientifc

Council of State Science Supervisors – Making the Connection – Science Safety: It’s Elementary – Rehab the Lab, Safe labs that don’t pollute b/ b/

EPA’s School Chemical Cleanout Campaign EPA’s Healthy School Web Portal EPA’s Mercury Web Site Mercury in Schools Project