Also, sodium azide releases a toxic gas under acidic conditions.

Rebekah Weber< /o:p>

Talecris Biotherape utics

Associate Research Scientist

Chemical Hygiene Of ficer

Bioanalytical Resea rch

NCSU Centennial Cam pus site

rebekah.weber**At_Symbol_Here**talec ris.com

(919) 508-8738

fax (919) 508-9199

Sodium azide with react with many metals such as lead and copper and others to form shock sensitive (easily detonated) materials.  Lead azide is in fact used in detonating systems.  In the manufacture of sodium azide only stainless steel is allowed (not even chrom e plated) to prevent potential formation of such compounds.  There have been unpublished or anecdotal reports of chrome plated dome fasteners on coveral ls wearing away the chrome plating, exposing “azide-reactable” met al which reacted with azide over relatively short periods of time and then “popped” or “snapped” when workers closed the dome fastener.  Zippers may have responded in a similar fashion.

In a lab setting one would need to ensure that th ere are adequate processes for decomposing the azide so none is flushed down th e sink even inadvertently.  Equipment used to handle the azide should ideally be dedicated to that purpose and thoroughly decontaminated after us e so that later maintenance activity does not expose residual azide to shock or friction.

Gl enn Wood (PhD, CIH, ROH) | As sociate: Sr. Health and Safety Consultant | Golder Associates Ltd.     
2390 Argentia Road , Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5N 5Z7    & nbsp;   
T: +1 (905) 567 4444 | D: +1 (905) 567 6100 Ext: 1169 | F: +1 (905) 567 6561 | C: +1 (416) 625 3257 | E: Glenn_Wood**At_Symbol_Here**golder.com | www.golder.com    

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