ABC of Safety in the Biological Sciences

CHEMICAL DATA AND QUICK REFERENCE CHARTS

A QUICK REFERENCE TO CHEMICALS IN COMMON USE

C = Carcinogen
O = Oxidising agent
T = Toxic

F = Flammable
P = Probable carcinogen
U = Unknown

I = Irritant
S = Safe

Disposal information refers to the section on disposal and is reproduced courtesy of Ajax Chemicals.

CHEMICAL NAME	STATUS	COMMENT	DISPOSAL
Acacia powder	F+I		18
Acetic Acid	I	Corrosive	24A
Acetone	F+T	Toxic when inhaled	18
Agarose	I	Mild irritant	18
Albumin, bovine	U	Can be viral contamination	18
Aluminium ammonium sulphate	I	Mild irritant	11
Aluminium chloride	I+T	Corrosive	11
Aluminium hydroxide	I	11
Aluminium potassium sulphate	I+T	Toxic when ingested	11
8-amino-naphthol-3,6-disulphonic acid	U	5
Ammonia solution	I+T	Corrosive,explosive	10
Ammonium acetate	I+T	Eye irritant	11
Ammonium bromide	I	Hygroscopic	11
Ammonium citrate	I	Mild irritant	11
Ammonium hydrogen sulphate	I	Corrosive	11
Ammonium hydrogen tetraborate	I+T	11
Ammonium nitrate	I+O+T	11
Ammonium oxalate	I+T	Very toxic	11
Ammonium sulphamate	U	19
Ammonium sulphate	I	Corrosive	11
Amyl acetate	F+I	Dermatitis	18
Araldite LC 177N	F+T	Dermatitis	18
Araldite RD2	F+T	Dermatitis	18
Argon (gas)	T	Asphyxiant
Arsanilic acid	I+T	Very toxic	27D
Arsenazo	I+T	Very toxic	27D
Arsenazo III	I+T	Very toxic	27D
Barbitone	T
Barium carbonate	I+T	Very toxic	27H
Barium chloride	I+O+T	Very toxic	27H
Barium nitrate	I+O+T	Very toxic	27H
Barium sulphate	S	Mild eye irritant	26
Benzene	C+F+T	Narcotic	18
Benzidine	P		18
Benzoyl chloride	F+I+T	Very toxic	1A
Borax	I+T	Moderately toxic	24B
Boric acid	I+T		24B
Butoxyethanol	F+I+T	Very toxic	18
Butvar	I
Butyl alcohol	F+I+T	Narcotic	18
Calcium chloride	I+T	Dermatitis	11
Calcium oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Calcium oxide	O	Corrosive	11
Capryl alcohol	I	Mildly toxic	24A
Carbon	F+I	Flammable	27J
Carbon dioxide (gas)	T
Carbon tetrachloride	I+P+T	Very toxic,mutagen	27J
Cedar wood oil	I+T	Allergen	18
Charcoal	F+I	Spon.combustion	26
Chloral hydrate	I+T	Very toxic	4B
Chloroform	F+P+T	Embryotoxin	27J
Chromic potassium sulphate	I+P+T	Very toxic	11
Chromium	I+T		11
Chromium chloride	I+T	Very toxic	11
Chromium trioxide	F+P	Corrosive	12A
Citric acid	I	Corrosive	24A
Clove oil	U		18
Cobalt chloride	I+P+T	Very toxic	11
Cobaltous oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Collodion	F+T	Very flammable	18
Copper oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Copper print	I+T		27A
Copper sulphate	I+T		11
Creosote	I+T	Very toxic	18
D.P.X.	I+T		18
Dextrin	U		18
Di lithium metaborate	I+T		11
Diaminobenzidine	I		18
Diastase	I+T	Mildly toxic	18
1,2-dibromoethane	I+P+T	Very toxic	4B
Dibutyl phthalate	I+T	Mildly toxic	18
Dichloroethane	F+T	Very toxic	4B
Dichloromethane	I+T		27J
Diethyl ether	F+I+T	Narcotic	18
Dimethyl amino benzaldehyde		Combustible
Dimethyl formamide	I+P	Embryotoxin	20
Dimethylarsinic acid	T		27D
Dimethylphenylenediamine	I+T
Dimethylsulphoxide	I	Teratogen, allergen	4B
Dioxane	C+F+T	Mutagen,very toxic	15
Diphenylamine	I+P+T	Teratogen
Diphenyloxazole	I	Mildly toxic
Disodium hydrogen orthophosphate	I		11
EDTA	I	Food additive	4C
1,2-epoxypropane	F+I+P+T	Corrosive	15
Ethanol	F+T		18
Ethoxyethanol	F+I+T	Teratogen	18
Ethylene glycol	F+I+T	Mutagen	18
Ethylmaleimide	T	Corrosive	18
Ferric ammonium sulphate	I		11
Ferric chloride	I+T	Corrosive	11
Ferric potassium oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Ferric sulphate	I	Mildly toxic	11
Ferrous oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Ferrous sulphate	I+P+T		11
Flavianic acid	C		24B
Formaldehyde	C+F+I+T	Dermatitis
Formic acid	C+F+T	Corrosive	24A
Gelatin	S		26
Glutaraldehyde	I+T	Dermatitis
Glycerin	I	Dermatitis	18
Glycine	I	Combustible	4C
Gold chloride	I+T	Mildly toxic	27K
Gum acacia	F+I		18
Hexamine	I+T	Combustible	7A
Histoclear	I+T	Dermatitis	18
Hydrazine sulphate	I+P+T	Corrosive	16
Hydrochloric acid	I	Corrosive	24B
Hydrofluoric acid	T	V.toxic,corrosive	24B
Hydrogen peroxide	F+I+O	Very corrosive	22A
Hydroquinone	I+T	Very toxic	18
Hydroxyquinoline	I+T	Mildly toxic
Iodine	I+T	V.toxic,corrosive	12A
Iso pentane	F+I+T	Narcotic	18
Lanthanum nitrate	I+O+T	Mildly toxic	11
Lead acetate	P+T	Cumulative poison	27F
Lead citrate	T		27F
Lead metaborate	I+T		11
Lead nitrate	O+T	V.toxic,explosive	27F
Lithium carbonate	C	Mutagen,corrosive	11
Lithium metaborate	I+T		11
Lithium oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Magnesium carbonate	I+T	Mildly toxic	26
Magnesium chloride	I+T	Mildly toxic	11
Magnesium nitrate	I+O+T		11
Magnesium oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Magnesium sulphate	I+T		11
Manganous oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Mercuric chloride	T	V.toxic,corrosive	27B
Mercuric oxide	O+T	V.toxic,corrosive	27B
Mercury	I+T	Very toxic	27B
Merthiolate	I		18
Methanol	F+I+T	Mutagen,narcotic	18
Methyl acetate	I+T	Narcotic	18
Methyl cellulose	I+T	Mildly toxic	18
Methyl trisulphide	I+T		11
Methylaminophenol sulphate (METOL)	I+T	Skin sensitiser	18
Naphthalene	F+I+T		18
Naphthol	I+T		18
Naphthylamine	P		18
Nitric acid	I+O	Corrosive	24B
Octan-1-ol (capryl alcohol)	I	Low toxicity	24A
Oil of turpentine	F		18
Orcinol	I	Combustible	18
Osmium tetroxide	+T	Very toxic	27K
Oxalic acid	I+T	Very toxic	24A
Paraformaldehyde	I+T	Very toxic
Peanut oil	I		18
Perchloric acid	C+O+T	V.toxic,corrosive	12A
Periodic acid	F+I+O	Corrosive	24B
Petroleum spirit	F+I+T	Narcotic	18
Phenol	I+T	V.toxic,corrosive	18
Phenyl arsenoxide	I+T	Very toxic	27D
Phenylarsonic acid	I+T	Very toxic	27D
Phenylenediamine hydrochloride	I+T		18
Phosphomolybdic acid	I+O+T	Corrosive	11
Phosphorus pentoxide	I+O	Corrosive	24B
Phosphotungstic acid	I	Corrosive	24B
Picric acid	I+O+T	Neurotoxin
Polyethylene glycol	S		18
Polyvinyl alcohol	I	Mildly toxic	18
Potassium acetate	I		11
Potassium bisulphate	I	Severe corrosive	11
Potassium bromide	I+T	Skin sensitiser	11
Potassium carbonate	I	Dermatitis
Potassium chlorate	I+O+T	Explosive	12A
Potassium chloride	I+T	Very toxic	11
Potassium chromate	O+P+T	Corrosive	12A
Potassium citrate	I		11
Potassium cyanide	I+T	V.toxic,corrosive	14
Potassium dichromate	C+O	Corrosive	12A
Potassium dihydrogen orthophosphate	I+T	Moderately toxic	11
Potassium ferricyanide	U	Insufficient data	14
Potassium ferrocyanide	I		14
Potassium hydrogen orthophosphate	I+T		11
Potassium hydrogen oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Potassium hydrogen sulphate	I+T	Corrosive	11
Potassium hydroxide	I+T	Strong corrosive	10
Potassium iodide	I+T	Dermatitis	11
Potassium metabisulphite	I	Strong corrosive	12B
Potassium metaborate	I+T		11
Potassium nitrate	I+O+T		12A
Potassium oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Potassium permanganate	I+O+T	Corrosive	12A
Potassium pyrosulphate	I+T	Corrosive	11
Potassium tetraoxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Potassium thiocyanate	I+T		11
Potassium thiosulphate	I		11
Potassium titanium oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Propanediol	I+T	Mildly toxic	18
Propanol	F+I+T	Narcotic	18
Propylene oxide	F+I+T	Corrosive	18
Protargol	I+T		27K
Pyridine	F+I+T	Neurotoxin
Pyrogallol	I+T	Very toxic	18
Silica	I		26
Silver nitrate	I+O+T	V.toxic,corrosive	27K
Sodium acetate	I+T	Mildly toxic	11
Sodium azide	F+I+T	Explosive
Sodium B glycerophosphate	T	Mildly toxic	7B
Sodium barbitone	T	Narcotic	11
Sodium bicarbonate	S	Mild eye irritant	11
Sodium borohydride	F+I+T	Corrosive	17
Sodium cacodylate	I+T	Very toxic	27D
Sodium carbonate	I	Severe irritant	11
Sodium chloride	I	Animal mutagen	11
Sodium chromate	C+O	Corrosive	12A
Sodium citrate	I		11
Sodium dichromate	I+O+P	Corrosive	12A
Sodium dihydrogen orthophosphate	I+T		11
Sodium dithionite	F+I+T	Spon.combustion	12B
Sodium fluoride	I+T	V.toxic, severe	11
Sodium formate	I	Mildly toxic	11
Sodium hydrogen carbonate	S	Mild eye irritant	11
Sodium hydrogen sulphate	I+T	Corrosive	11
Sodium hydroxide	I+T	Very corrosive	10
Sodium hypochlorite	I	Very corrosive	12A
Sodium hypophosphate	I	Explosive	12B
Sodium iodate	I+O+T	Mildly toxic	11
Sodium metabisulphite		Corrosive	12B
Sodium metaborate	I+T		11
Sodium nitrate	I+O+T	Dermatitis	12A
Sodium nitrite	O+P+T	Very toxic	12A
Sodium nitroprusside	T	Very toxic	14
Sodium oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Sodium periodate	I+O+T		12A
Sodium pyrosulphate	I+T	Corrosive	11
Sodium sulphite	I	Corrosive	12B
Sodium tetraborate	I+T		11
Sodium thiosulphate	I+T		12B
Stannous oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11
Sucrose	S		18
Sulphuric acid	I+O	Very corrosive	24B
Tannic acid	P		24A
Tetrahydrofuran	F+I+T	Very toxic	18
Thimerosal	I+T	Very toxic	18
Thioglycolic acid	I+T	V.toxic,corrosive	13
Thoron	I+T	Very toxic	27D
Thymol	I	Corrosive	18
Toluene	F+I+T	Very toxic	18
Trichloracetic acid	I	Strong corrosive	4C
Triphenylarsine	I+T	Very toxic	27D
Triton X-100	I		18
Trypsin	I	Dermatitis	29
Tween 20	S		26
Uranyl acetate	I+T	Very toxic	27K
Uranyl formate	I+T	Very toxic	27K
Urea	I		26
Xylene	F+I+T	Narcotic	18
Zinc	F+T		27A
Zinc oxalate	I+T	Severe irritant	11

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REFERENCES