Exchange or Transfer of Chemicals

Later in this chapter (section 4.D.2), the exchange or transfer of chemicals to other laboratory workers is discussed. The use of smaller containers increases the chance that chemicals to be transferred will still be in sealed containers, which increases the receiver s confidence that the chemicals are pure. 

Experimental design and execution are central in strategies to minimize the generation of hazardous waste, just as they were in the section above. The design should evaluate aU potential sources of hazardous waste expected from the proposed experiment and incorporate strategies to minimize those sources. Examples of such strategies include 

Clearly, some of these steps have become important only recently as a result of the changing requirements and economics of laboratory management. Three of these critical strategies are elaborated on below. 

As an example of the benefits of microscale work, consider the t)q)ical Kjeldahl reaction, which uses mercury as a catalyst. The mercury waste produced by this procedure creates a difficult disposal problem. Converting to micro-Kjeldahl equipment and quantities reduces the waste by 90%, which could result in a reduction of several liters of waste per day in laboratories that routinely run Kjeldahl reactions. 

000 educational institutions that currently generate more than 4,000 metric tons of hazardous waste per year in the United States were to convert to microscale chemistry, 3,960 metric tons of that waste would be eliminated, at a savings of hundreds of millions of dollars per year. Many industrial research and development laboratories could achieve comparable financial and environmental savings. 

---

The exchange or transfer of chemicals between laboratories at an institution depends on the kind of inventory system and central stockroom facilities in place. Some institutions encourage laboratory workers to return materials to the central stockroom for redistribution to other workers. The containers may be sealed or open a portion of the material may have been used. Materials from containers that have been opened are often of suffi... 

---