Close
Chemical Safety Library
Some chemicals used by departments in UCL have had a safety alert released by UCL, or other institutes, indicating that the risk caused by the use of the chemical has or nearly caused an injury.
Safety Services has provided additional specific information on why these particular chemicals are considered hazardous and which control measures UCL considers necessary for the chemical to be used safely on UCL sites by UCL staff.鈥婽his information should be taken into account when writing the risk assessment.鈥�
- Cyanide compounds
Most cyanide compounds release the cyanide anion (CN-) within the human body after ingestion, inhalation听or absorption through the skin. This anion听disrupts aerobic respiration, the central nervous system and the听heart.听
- Ethanol / Industrial Alcohol
Ingestion of alcohol in the short term leads to nausea, vomiting, dizziness, even respiratory paralysis. In the听long-term, there is听a听risk from liver cirrhosis, cancers, nervous system disorders, and foetal alcohol听syndrome.鈥�
- Ethers
Ethers are听flammable, diethyl ether (C2H5)2O is classified as听extremely flammable.鈥�
- Ethidium Bromide鈥�
Ethidium bromide is a frameshift mutagen (causes changes to DNA) and intercalating agent (acts like听insertion mutations). Although evidence shows that when applied听in vitro听it is a mutagen, contact with听mammalian cells in other circumstance requires higher concentrations than that used in labs to cause an听immediate risk to humans.听鈥�
It is a risk to the environment.
It is toxic by inhalation.听鈥�
- Filament Material for 3D printers鈥�
At this time there is a concern, but no definitive evidence, that inhaling the fumes and particles from a 3D听printer may present a health risk. There has not been sufficient testing done to understand any听long term听health effect, but it is believed听those with respiratory health issue including asthma would be most at risk.
- Hydrofluoric Acid
Hydrofluoric acid (HF), as a liquid, is a contact poison, causing deep and painful chemicals burns that can听lead to tissue death.鈥�
As a gas, it is an acute poison听the听may cause immediate and permeant damage to the lungs and eyes鈥�
Once in the body, it will interfere with calcium metabolism and can cause systemic toxicity and may lead to听death.鈥�
- Lead
Lead (Pb) is a known neurotoxin and can pose other significant chronic health effects, such as reproductive听and digestive problems, memory and concentration problems, muscle and joint pain.
- Liquid Nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen鈥檚 volume expands by 1: 650 from liquid to gas at room temperature. This results in the听explosive qualities that nitrogen demonstrates in vials and other containers, that is not immediately听recognisable from reading the Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
- 惭别谤肠耻谤测听
The character from Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, may derive from the health risk that mercury听presents.听Erethism, also known as听Erethism Mercurialis听or mad hatter disease is a neurological disorder听which affects the whole central nervous system caused by mercury poisoning.鈥�
- Nitrogen Triiodide (NI3)鈥�
Nitrogen triiodide is an inorganic compound which is a听contact explosive, that reacts violently to exposure to a relatively small amount of energy including friction, pressure, sound, light 补苍诲听伪听(alpha) radiation. The听explosion is usually a loud, sharp sound.鈥�
- Nitromethane
Nitromethane (CH3NO3) is an energetic听别虫辫濒辞蝉颈惫别听greater than TNT (2,4,6,- Trinitrotoluene) at above normal听temperature or pressure. At room temperature and pressure,听it is听蹿濒补尘尘补产濒别听rather than explosive.鈥�
- Phenol (carbolic acid or hydroxybenzene)鈥�
Phenol is extremely听辫辞颈蝉辞苍辞耻蝉听补苍诲听corrosive. It can be absorbed across intact skin. As it initially may have听anaesthetic effects, the phenol may cause extensive tissue damage before the casualty feels any pain.听Deaths have been reported for exposures of 25% or more of body surface area鈥�.
- Picric Acid
Picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenol) is explosive when allowed to dry out. The crystals that form are a Class 1听别虫辫濒辞蝉颈惫别听and highly sensitive to shock, heat and friction.鈥�
鈥婭f not stored in accordance to the reactive, compatibility tables, the resultant crystals may be picrate salts听that have an even greater听explosivity, e.g. lead, copper, zinc.鈥�
- Thiols
Thiols or听mercaptan, although toxic are often not dangerous in the quantities used in experiments.听However, thiols are odorants and are detectable to the human nose at as little as 2-parts per billion. At听these concentrations, there are unlikely to cause chronic health problems but are classified as offensive听due to the stench.
- Welding fumes
The specific hazards depend on what is being welded and the method of welding is being used however since February 2019 (HSE bulletin No STSU1 -2019) it has been accepted in the UK that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to any welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause听lung cancer听and there is limited evidence to link inhalation of the fumes to听kidney cancer.鈥�
Last updated: Tuesday, June 23, 2020
听
