Australia's Science Forum

Slightly off topic, but I am writing a report on Managing Hazardous chemicals in the workplace for a grad cert I'm doing and was after some potential toxic products of reactions that may occur with common school chemicals if a teacher was being careless/lacked knowledge. I have 5 days to write my 2000 word report so all help is VERY much appreciated!

Nitric acid and copper producing nitrogen dioxide.
I discover this very early in my time as a labbie, not knowing any different pouring an "unknown" down the sink which happened to have some bits of copper lying in the bottom.
Luckily it only produced a small very small amount of brown gas with no harmful effects to me.

It does show however how we really need training before we are allowed to work in science.

lead nitrate and potassium iodide.
sulfuric acid and sugar
burning sulfur.

Sodium thiosulfate and hcl I think it produces H2S??

How about common household products also found in prep rooms. I added bleach to ammonia based cleaning product and threw in a little Mr Muscle as well to clean the floor and ended up producing the equivalent of mustard gas. I did this at home quite a few years ago without thinking about it and had an extremely bad experience because it affected the airways and the capacity to breathe.
It would be quite easy for this to happen in a classroom situation if a teacher has no chemistry background.

Lyn.

P.S. I know some of you out there will say how stupid can you get but a spur of the moment decision is an interesting learning curve.

rae wrote:Sodium thiosulfate and hcl I think it produces H2S??

Nope. Sulfure and Sulfur Dioxide.

Na2S2O3 + 2 HCl → 2 NaCl + S + SO2 + H2O

One of my teachers once made acetylene when trying to clean up some crucibles that had MgO in them. Not sure how he did it, but I was glad we were using 20mL crucibles and not 500mL beakers!

Iron filings and sulphuric acid? and if it helps, look on the MSDS's for incompatibilities many of which are the actual prac. Like copper and nitric acid for equilibrium prac, Hoffmans apparatus with NaCl solns where you get chlorine (gas) sometimes, lots of hydrocarbon pracs will give off toxic fumes, fractional distillation (which we dont do anymore)... & I suppose most fume hood pracs to a degree.

I have 50mls solution of nitric acid and copper sitting in the fume cupboard. Any suggestions on getting rid of it?