Health Considerations Relative to the Use of Solvents in the Chemistry Laboratory

摘要

Organic solvents can be safely used in the research laboratory if a few simple principles of good practice are followed. The hazards from flammability, explosion, incompatible reactions, and decomposition of laboratory solvents are probably greater than health hazards per se, but this paper will address only those hazards which may cause impairment to the health of laboratory workers. In the main, simple, straightforward practices and methods are discussed for controlling exposure to toxic solvents. The major obstacle in achieving good control is neither inadequate control systems nor the lack of knowledge by laboratory workers, but rather the failure to follow safe practices, of which they are already familiar. There seems to be an almost universal tendency among laboratory workers to become complacent and to minimize the health hazards of common solvents. This is especially true in cases where the solvents in question have been used routinely for years. The feeling seems to be that the absence of apparent health effects to date guarantees that there will be none in the future. In reality, chronic damage may already have occurred or there may be a long period of latency before overt health effects are manifested. (ERA citation 03:048907)