Chemicals used in the laboratory may be hazardous because of the following:
- Safety risks (i.e., highly flammable or explosive material)
- Acute and chronic health hazards
- Environmental harm
- Impairment of indoor air quality
Assessment of the chemicals in this list indicates that their hazardous nature is greater than their potential usefulness in many school programs. Evaluation included physical hazards (i.e., flammability, explosive propensity, reactivity, corrosivity) and health hazards (i.e., toxicity, carcinogenicity).
This following list of chemicals was generated from the Manual of Safety and Health Hazards in the School Science Laboratory published by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [1984].
Carcinogenic substances were identified from the Report on Carcinogens (10th Edition) generated by the National Toxicology Program (2002).
| Chemical | CAS Number | Hazard |
|---|---|---|
|
Acrylonitrile |
107–13–1 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3), reasonably anticipated human carcinogen |
|
Ammonium chromate |
7788–98–9 |
Oxidizer, known human carcinogen |
|
Aniline |
62–53–3 |
Combustible, may be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin |
|
Aniline hydrochloride |
142–04–1 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin |
|
Anthracene |
102–12–7 |
Irritant, may cause an allergic skin reaction |
|
Antimony trichloride |
10025–91–9 |
Corrosive |
|
Arsenic and its compounds |
N/A |
Known human carcinogen |
|
Asbestos |
1332–21–4 |
Known human carcinogen |
|
Ascarite II |
N/A |
Corrosive, may be fatal if ingested |
|
Benzene |
71–43–2 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3), known human carcinogen, mutagen |
|
Benzoyl peroxide |
94–36–0 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3), explosive, oxidizer |
|
Calcium cyanide |
592–01–8 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
|
Carbon disulfide |
75–15–0 |
Flammable (NFPA = 4), acute cns toxicity and peripheral neurotoxicity |
|
Carbon tetrachloride |
56–23–5 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested, reasonably anticipated human carcinogen |
|
Chloral hydrate |
302–17–0 |
Controlled barbiturate |
|
Chlorine |
7782–50–5 |
Oxidizer, corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled |
|
Chloroform |
67–66–3 |
Reasonably anticipated human carcinogen |
|
Chloropromazine |
50–53–3 |
Controlled substance |
|
Chromium hexavalent compounds |
N/A |
Known human carcinogen |
|
Chromium trioxide |
1333–82–0 |
Oxidizer, Corrosive, known human carcinogen |
|
Colchicine |
64–86–8 |
May be fatal if ingested, mutagen |
|
p-Dichlorobenzene |
106–46–7 |
Combustible, reasonably anticipated human carcinogen |
|
Dimethylaniline |
121–69–7 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin |
|
p-Dioxane |
123–91–1 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3), forms peroxides (Group 2), reasonably anticipated human carcinogen |
|
Ethylene dichloride (1,2-Dichloroethane) |
107–06–2 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3), reasonably anticipated human carcinogen, mutagen |
|
Ethylene oxide |
75–21–8 |
Flammable (NFPA = 4), explosive (NPFA = 3), may be fatal if inhaled or absorbed through the skin, known human carcinogen |
|
Gunpowder |
N/A |
Explosive |
|
Hexachlorophene |
70–30–4 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin, possible teratogen |
|
Hydrobromic acid |
10035–10–6 |
Corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
|
Hydrofluoric acid |
7664–39–3 |
Corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled or ingested (liquid and vapor can cause severe burns not always immediately painful or visible but possibly fatal) |
|
Hydrogen |
1333–74–0 |
Flammable (NFPA = 4) |
|
Hydriodic acid |
10034–85–2 |
Corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
|
Lead arsenate |
7784–40–9 |
Known human carcinogen, teratogen |
|
Lead carbonate |
1319–46–6 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested, neurotoxic |
|
Lead (VI) chromate |
7758–97–6 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested, known human carcinogen |
|
Lithium, metal |
7439–93–2 |
Combustible, water reactive |
|
Lithium nitrate |
7790–69–4 |
Oxidizer |
|
Magnesium, metal (powder) |
|
May ignite spontaneously on contact with water or damp materials |
|
Mercury |
7439–97–6 |
Corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
|
Mercuric chloride |
7487–94–7 |
May be fatal if inhaled, teratogen |
|
Methyl iodide (iodomethane) |
74–88–4 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin, potential carcinogen (NIOSH) |
|
Methyl methacrylate |
80–62–6 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3), explosive (vapor) |
|
Methyl orange |
547–58–0 |
Possible mutagen |
|
Possible mutagen |
493–52–7 |
Possible mutagen |
|
Nickel, metal |
7440–02–0 |
Reasonably anticipated human carcinogen, mutagen |
|
Nickel oxide |
1314–06–3 |
Reasonably anticipated human carcinogen, mutagen |
|
Nicotine |
45–11–5 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested, or absorbed through the skin |
|
Osmium tetroxide |
20816–12–0 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
|
Paris green |
12002–03–8 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin, known human carcinogen |
|
Phenol |
108–95–2 |
Combustible (liquid and vapor), corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin |
|
Phosphorus pentoxide |
1314–56–3 |
Water reactive, corrosive |
|
Phosphorous, red, white |
7723–14–0 |
May ignite spontaneously in air |
|
Phthalic anhydride |
85–44–9 |
Combustible/finely dispersed particles form explosive mixtures in air, corrosive |
|
Potassium, metal |
7440–09–7 |
Flammable (nfpa = 3), water reactive, forms peroxides |
|
Potassium oxalate |
583–52–8 |
Corrosive, may be fatal if ingested |
|
Potassium sulfide |
1312–73–8 |
Spontaneously combustible, explosive in dust or powder form, corrosive |
|
Pyridine |
110–86–1 |
Flammable (nfpa = 3), possible mutagen |
|
Selenium |
7782–49–2 |
Severe irritant |
|
Silver cyanide |
506–64–9 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin |
|
Silver nitrate |
7761–88–8 |
Oxidizer, corrosive, may be fatal if ingested |
|
Silver oxide |
20667–12–3 |
Oxidizer |
|
Sodium arsenate |
7778–43–0 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested, known human carcinogen |
|
Sodium arsenite |
7784–46–5 |
Known human carcinogen, teratogen |
|
Sodium azide |
26628–22–8 |
Explosive, may be fatal if ingested or absorbed through the skin |
|
Sodium chromate |
7775–11–3 |
Oxidizer, corrosive, known human carcinogen |
|
Sodium cyanide |
143–33–9 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin |
|
Sodium dichromate |
10588–01–9 |
Oxidizer, corrosive, may be fatal if ingested, known human carcinogen |
|
Sodium nitrite |
7632–00–0 |
Oxidizer |
|
Sodium sulfide |
1313–82–2 |
Corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
|
Sodium thiocyanide |
540–72–7 |
Contact with acid liberates very toxic gas |
|
Stannic chloride ( anhydrous) |
7646–78–8 |
Corrosive, hydrochloric acid liberated upon contact with moisture and heat |
|
Stearic acid |
57–11–4 |
May form combustible dust concentration in the air |
|
Strontium |
7440–24–6 |
Water reactive |
|
Strontium nitrate |
10042–76–9 |
Oxidizer |
|
Sudan IV |
85–83–6 |
Irritant, toxic properties have not been thoroughly evaluated |
|
Sulfuric acid, fuming |
8014–95–7 |
Corrosive, may be fatal if ingested |
|
Tannic acid |
1401–55–4 |
Irritant |
|
Tetrabromoethane |
79–27–6 |
May be fatal if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through the skin |
|
Thioacetamide |
62–55–5 |
Reasonably anticipated human carcinogen |
|
Thiourea |
62–56–6 |
Reasonably anticipated human carcinogen |
|
Titanium trichloride |
7705–07–9 |
Water reactive, corrosive |
|
Titanium tetrachloride |
7550–45–0 |
Water reactive, corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled |
|
o-Toluidine |
95–53–4 |
Reasonably anticipated human carcinogen, mutagen |
|
Uranium |
7440–61–1 |
Radioactive material |
|
Uranyl acetate |
541–09–3 |
Radioactive material |
|
Urethane |
51–79–6 |
Combustible, reasonably anticipated human carcinogen |
|
Wood’s metal |
8049–22–7 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested, known human carcinogen (cadmium), neurotoxic |
This information is from the School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide created by the U.S. Consumer Safety Product Commission (CPSC), Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
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