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Substitution of a More Hazardous Chemical by a Less Hazardous Chemical
It is important to minimize the use of hazardous chemicals and production of hazardous wastes. Using many of
these chemicals can be exceedingly dangerous to the health of workers and students in a laboratory setting.
Science laboratories often do not meet OSHA standards either for the Laboratory Standard or Hazard
Communication Standard. Teachers and students can be exposed to harmful odors and other associated
hazards from chemicals. Many chemical storerooms do not possess a separate exhaust to the outside in
addition to the fact that the science department does not have a separate HVAC system. Additionally, it is
expensive to remove waste chemicals from schools by hazardous waste companies. As a result, these harmful
hazardous waste chemicals are left in the schools.
It is prudent practice to reduce the amounts of chemicals that are used in schools. It is essential that science
inquiry be a vital part of the science laboratory experience in all sciences. Safety is not only for chemistry
classes. All sciences use chemicals. All chemicals have associated hazardous that cannot be removed;
however, the risks can be minimized by doing microscale chemistry, green chemistry or using less hazardous
substitutes for more hazardous chemicals in the science laboratory. A list of possible substitutions follows:
It is prudent Chemical
Task
Extraction solvents
Substitution List for Science IS…Inquiry Safely
Oxidation of organic compounds
Qualitative test for heavy metals
Freezing point lowering
Hazardous Chemical
Ethyl ether;
Methyl-t-butyl ether (MTBE)1
Chromate ion
Sulfide ion
Benzene
Temperature
Mercury thermometers
Pressure
Mercury barometers
Preservation of biological specimens
Formaldehyde; Formalin
Enthalpy of fusion
Acetamide;
para-Dichlorobenzene
para-Dicholorobenzene
Melting point determination
Substitute
Hexanes1
Hypochlorite ion1
Hydroxide ion1
Cyclohexane; Sodium chloride
solution
Alcohol (red, blue, green) or
Spirit-filled; Digital; Teflon®
coated; Enviro-Safe™ 2; EverSafe®3; Oven thermometers
Pressure probes; Non-mercury
barometers
Ethanol or other preservatives,
Formalternate®3; Fisher-Free®4;
Fisher BioFresh®4; CaroSafe™;
Perfect Solution™ 5
Stearic acid or Acetamide tubes;
Paraffin wax3
Stearic acid; Cetyl alcohol; 1Octadecanol; Palmitic acid;
Lauric acid; 1-octyl Phenol;
4-(t-octyl) Phenol3
Chemical Substitution List for Science IS…Inquiry Safely (cont'd.)
Heat transfer liquid for hot oil baths or
melting point Thiele Tubes
Vapor Pressure / temperature
Water softening
Play Slime
Qualitative test for halide ions
Mineral oil*
Silicon oil (polymethylsiloxane)3
Carbon tetrachloride
Calgon
Polyvinyl alcohol
Carbon tetrachloride
Qualitative test for heavy metals
Heavy metals
Sulfide ion
Chloroform; Carbon
tetrachloride; Benzene;
Toluene; Xylenes;
1,1,1-Trichloroethane;
1,1,2-Trichlorotrifluroethane
& other halogenated solvents
Potassium chlorate &
Manganese dioxide
Isopropyl alcohol6
Sodium hexametaphosphate3
Guar gum3
Cyclohexane,1 Hexane, Mineral
oil3**
Copper, cobalt, iron etc6
Hydroxide ion
Mineral Oil**; Hexanes; Nonhalogenated solvents;
Alcohols; Cyclohexanes1,3
Solubility of Iodine or non-polar
substances
Molar volume determination
Ignition of Thermite
Anesthesia
Highly reactive
Group I metals
Polymer
Magnesium metal or other
chemical igniters
Ethyl ether
Potassium, sodium
Histology
Chloroform; Carbon
tetrachloride;
1,1,1-Trichloroethane
Xylene
Acids and Bases
Regular acids / bases
Hydrogen sulfide
Metal alloy
Volcano reaction
Sodium sulfide
Woods metal
Ammonium dichromate
Base spill neutralizer
Magnetism
Alcohol use in lab
Polymer catalyst
Vinegar solution
Pure Iron filings
Methyl alcohol
Benzoyl peroxide
Dry ice (see Flinn Chem Fax
No. 10013);
Magnesium & Hydrochloric
acid3
Thermite ignition sticks3
Fly-Nap® 5; Lull-A-Fly® 3;
Triethylamine
Calcium, magnesium
Isopropyl alcohol;
Cyclohexane1.3
Alcohols; Limonene based
products3
Vinegar and sodium
bicarbonate
Aitch-tu-ess cartridges3
Onion’s Fusible Alloy3
Vinegar and sodium hydrogen
carbonate
Citric acid powder3
Flinn’s Iron alloy filings3
Anhydrous ethyl alcohol3
30 % Hydrogen peroxide;
Lauroyl peroxide3
Chemical Substitution List for Science IS…Inquiry Safely (cont'd.)
Diffusion properties
Bromine / Iodine
Cleaning
Chromex; Chromic acid
Cleaner
Solvent; Cleaner
Mercury spills
Sodium dichromate
Toluene
Sulfur powder
Sulfur solvent
Insect killing jars
Carbon disulfide
Metal cyanides
Genetic taste test for bitter taste for
PTC
Phenol thiourea; Phenol
thiocarbamide solution or
powder
Chloroform
Azure B stain
Antibiotic solutions
Large scale chemistry
DNA Extraction
Azure B staining procedures
Antibiotic solutions
Chemical waste reduction
Generation of Oxygen
Density determination
DNA Extraction
Potassium chlorate &
Manganese dioxide
Methanol solutions
Chloroform
Bromine; iodine diffusion
tubes3
Detergents; Flinn-it™ Cleaner;
RBS 35® Cleaner3
Sodium hypochlorite1
Alcohols 1
Zinc dust; Mercon® Spill
Control Kit3
5 mL Olive oil 3
Ethanol; Ethyl acetate3 or
Freezing
PTC paper3
DNA extraction kits 3,4,5
Methylene blue stain3
Antibiotic test disks5
Green chemistry,
Microchemistry
Hydrogen peroxide &
Manganese dioxide
Sugar / diet soda solutions
DNA extraction kits 3,4,5
References:
1University of Missouri-Rolla, Material Substitutions. Waste Minimization Program, 2002, UMR Environmental
Health and Safety Department.
2Foster, Barbara, Mercury Thermometer Replacements in Chemistry Laboratories. Journal of Chemical
Education, Vol. 82, No. 2, February 2005.
3Flinn Chemical & Biological Catalog Reference Manual 2007.Flinn Scientific Company, Batavia, IL.
4Fisher Scientific 2007 Catalog. Fisher Scientific Division of Thermo Fisher, Hanover Park, IL.
5Carolina Biological Supply Catalog 2006. Carolina Biological Supply Company, Burlington, NC.
6Scholar® Chemistry Resource Manual, Developed with Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at
Austin. www.scholarchemistry.com