Guidelines for care & Use of Dry Solvent Stills [Example]

All other organic solvents not on the list above must be poured into separate glass or metal containers, labeled, and placed on
the metal table. This includes any potentially reactive or unstable liquid organic chemical. Examples would be sulfurcontaining
compounds, complex heterocyclics, corrosives, organic acids, lachrymators, etc. - i.e., bromine, acetic anhydride,
acetyl chloride, chlorosulfonic acid, pyridine, acetonitrile, alanine, 1,4-dioxane, tert-butyl chloride, etc.
Common mineral acids used in Academic laboratories (Hydrochloric, Nitric, Sulfuric acids, including Acetic and Phosphoric acids)
can be completely neutralized with Sodium carbonate or bicarbonate and flushed down the drain with plenty of cold water, unless
other harmful chemical components are mixed in with them, in which case they should be securely bottled, capped, labeled, and sent
out with the waste company.
Research students in each research lab making use of chemicals and generating chemical waste are responsible for identifying and
gathering chemical waste, putting them in appropriate empty glass or plastic containers (depending on the reactivity or lack thereof of
the chemical with the type of container you‟re using), labeling them as described above, making sure there is no evidence of spillage
on the container surface, storing the chemical waste temporarily in a designated storage area within your lab (ideally in a hood, or
underneath a hood, or in a flammable storage cabinet), capping or otherwise closing the container tightly, making absolutely certain
that different chemicals stored within the same container are chemically compatible (that is, do not react with each other), and finally
that each bottle is dated when full and taken to the Hazardous Chemical Waste holding (Accumulation) area in the Solvent room # 20
for eventual removal by the Chemical Waste Company. Faculty Research Directors and Faculty teaching Lab instructors are
responsible for identifying chemical waste if Graduate students are unclear as to what constitutes chemical waste generated in their
research or teaching laboratory work areas. Any other questions regarding chemical waste should be directed to Scott Frazier [WFU
Assistant Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Director], phone # 4255.
It is hereby stipulated that each research laboratory group designate one graduate student to oversee the collection and transportation
of chemical waste from the group‟s work area to the Accumulation area on the metal table or 55 gallon solvent waste drum in room
#20. In particular, this designated person has the responsibility of visually checking the contents of each waste container before it is
taken by other students within the group to the waste holding area, to make certain incompatible chemicals have not been placed in
the same container, and dating each waste container when it is taken to the Accumulation area. This should be a permanent or
rotating assignment, based on research priorities and faculty dictate.
The designated Graduate Student or teaching assistant for your work area will maintain a Microsoft Word document listing of typical
waste generated in your lab, which will be emailed to the Laboratory manager at mathomps@wfu.edu in your department when the
waste is ready for removal to the Solvent room # 20.
49