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Chemical Safety Library
Some chemicals used by departments in UCL have had a safety alert released by UCL, or other institutes, indicating that the risk caused by the use of the chemical has or nearly caused an injury.
Safety Services has provided additional specific information on why these particular chemicals are considered hazardous and which control measures UCL considers necessary for the chemical to be used safely on UCL sites by UCL staff.This information should be taken into account when writing the risk assessment.
- Cyanide compounds
Most cyanide compounds release the cyanide anion (CN-) within the human body after ingestion, inhalation or absorption through the skin. This anion disrupts aerobic respiration, the central nervous system and the heart.
- Ethanol / Industrial Alcohol
Ingestion of alcohol in the short term leads to nausea, vomiting, dizziness, even respiratory paralysis. In the long-term, there is a risk from liver cirrhosis, cancers, nervous system disorders, and foetal alcohol syndrome.
- Ethers
Ethers are flammable, diethyl ether (C2H5)2O is classified as extremely flammable.
- Ethidium Bromide
Ethidium bromide is a frameshift mutagen (causes changes to DNA) and intercalating agent (acts like insertion mutations). Although evidence shows that when applied in vitro it is a mutagen, contact with mammalian cells in other circumstance requires higher concentrations than that used in labs to cause an immediate risk to humans.
It is a risk to the environment.
It is toxic by inhalation.
- Filament Material for 3D printers
At this time there is a concern, but no definitive evidence, that inhaling the fumes and particles from a 3D printer may present a health risk. There has not been sufficient testing done to understand any long term health effect, but it is believed those with respiratory health issue including asthma would be most at risk.
- Hydrofluoric Acid
Hydrofluoric acid (HF), as a liquid, is a contact poison, causing deep and painful chemicals burns that can lead to tissue death.
As a gas, it is an acute poison the may cause immediate and permeant damage to the lungs and eyes
Once in the body, it will interfere with calcium metabolism and can cause systemic toxicity and may lead to death.
- Lead
Lead (Pb) is a known neurotoxin and can pose other significant chronic health effects, such as reproductive and digestive problems, memory and concentration problems, muscle and joint pain.
- Liquid Nitrogen
Liquid nitrogen’s volume expands by 1: 650 from liquid to gas at room temperature. This results in the explosive qualities that nitrogen demonstrates in vials and other containers, that is not immediately recognisable from reading the Safety Data Sheets (SDS).
- Mercury
The character from Alice in Wonderland, the Mad Hatter, may derive from the health risk that mercury presents. Erethism, also known as Erethism Mercurialis or mad hatter disease is a neurological disorder which affects the whole central nervous system caused by mercury poisoning.
- Nitrogen Triiodide (NI3)
Nitrogen triiodide is an inorganic compound which is a contact explosive, that reacts violently to exposure to a relatively small amount of energy including friction, pressure, sound, light and α (alpha) radiation. The explosion is usually a loud, sharp sound.
- Nitromethane
Nitromethane (CH3NO3) is an energetic explosive greater than TNT (2,4,6,- Trinitrotoluene) at above normal temperature or pressure. At room temperature and pressure, it is flammable rather than explosive.
- Phenol (carbolic acid or hydroxybenzene)
Phenol is extremely poisonous and corrosive. It can be absorbed across intact skin. As it initially may have anaesthetic effects, the phenol may cause extensive tissue damage before the casualty feels any pain. Deaths have been reported for exposures of 25% or more of body surface area.
- Picric Acid
Picric acid (2,4,6-trinitrophenol) is explosive when allowed to dry out. The crystals that form are a Class 1 explosive and highly sensitive to shock, heat and friction.
If not stored in accordance to the reactive, compatibility tables, the resultant crystals may be picrate salts that have an even greater explosivity, e.g. lead, copper, zinc.
- Thiols
Thiols or mercaptan, although toxic are often not dangerous in the quantities used in experiments. However, thiols are odorants and are detectable to the human nose at as little as 2-parts per billion. At these concentrations, there are unlikely to cause chronic health problems but are classified as offensive due to the stench.
- Welding fumes
The specific hazards depend on what is being welded and the method of welding is being used however since February 2019 (HSE bulletin No STSU1 -2019) it has been accepted in the UK that there is sufficient evidence that exposure to any welding fume, including mild steel welding fume, can cause lung cancer and there is limited evidence to link inhalation of the fumes to kidney cancer.
Last updated: Tuesday, June 23, 2020
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