Australia's Science Forum

I would love some advice on whether to get rid of any of the chemicals listed below.
They are all on the lists of 'banned chemicals in schools' or the 'not recommended list', both lists appear in the Chemical Safety guide for science laboratories in Victorian high schools. I'm at an independent school, so its more a matter of what is sensible, not what is 'allowed'.

Nickel compounds
lead carbonate
lead nitrate
mercury metal
red phosphorus
potassium chlorate
potassium metal

Are there any in there that ring alarm bells for you?
any thoughts would be appreciated

Just for interest sake....I have all the chemicals you listed except Lead carbonate.

In NSW lead nitrate and carbonate are not banned, user for nitrate 7-12 and for carbonate 11-12.
Nickel compounds except oxide are not banned, users 7-12, oxide is for teachers use only ( still not banned).
Hope this hepls.
lada

thanks lada and anne...that gives me peace of mind

N.T. - nickel powder - banned Cat3 carcinogen by inhalation.
red phosphorus - highly flammable not banned but no longer supplied. Drug precursor - requires End User Declaration for purchase.
mercury - if you have kilos of the stuff like I had get rid of it. Keep a very small quantity for curiosity value.
nickel compounds - teacher use only.
Just keep the rest stored correctly and when they become too out of date use disposal company to get rid of them.

Lyn.

From memory Potassium is banned in NSW schools...we stock only sodium and calcium.
I don't stock potassium chlorate either.
You seem to be drawing a line between private and state schools regarding chemicals..if the advice to state schools is to not stock a chemical ,independent and private schools should follow this example.The advice would not be given to state schools if it wasn't well founded.
Universities operate at a different level.

Just grabbed the CSIS out -
Potassium Chlorate is X - banned in NSW DET schools
Potassium metal is X - banned in NSW DET schools

The list I drew my information from was supplied by DEET here in the NT. The list was provided to all schools private or public. 72 pages of approved chemical listing and 2 pages of banned substances. So I can now say to any teacher that asks for sodium or potassium fluoride, sorry it is on the banned list. There is a prac in one of our current textbooks that does use one of those chemicals. Nice to know I have the backing of the education department when I say no. When the science curriculum goes national it will be interesting to see if our chemical use comes under a national control as well.

Lyn.

P.S. According to my listing both potassium chlorate and potassium metal are on our approved chemical listing.

Very strange,
NSW banned potassium metal and perchlorate from schools but not sodium or potassium fluoride.
Maybe they value are health differently???

Lada

At the time this listing was produced (2007) information for both potassium and sodium fluoride was as follows:
DG 6.1 Highly Toxic, with severe chronic effects. Known sensitiser. Contact with acids liberates very Toxic gas. Not required in curriculum.
Yet potassium metal and potassium chlorate were approved for supervised senior use or teacher only demonstration.
I haven't seen any revised listing since then.

Lyn.

Does anyone in Qld know where I might find a "banned" list? Always presuming I intend to comply that is.

For Qld there is information on page 41 of Aspects of Science Management: A Reference Manual for Schools By Education Qld 1997.You can download it from the net.Having worked in NSW for 15 years previously I have applied their rules at my school as well as the NSW CSIS is more rigorous and having used that system I couldn't see any point in not using it in Qld.I hope with the new National curriculum The CSIS handbook is used .