I was in a lab yesterday in Chemistry that is run by a PI older than the hills. His lab is filtering powders and solvents using the sink aspirator. All of the tygon tubing (both sides of vacuum & flasks) is discolored and shows signs of deterioration. They say this tubing is only looking that way because its really old. There was a flask for trap set up between the sample & the sink. I tried to explain that this set up may be allowing solvents to go into the water & down the drain. They tried in their best "I'm the seasoned PhD Chemist and you're not" voices to tell me it was ok and that there was no other way to do this and that everyone, including in industry, does it this way. Really?

So - my questions to all of you enlightened chemists:

1. Do you still use the sink aspirator/vacuum?

2. If so, what kind of trap do you use to prevent solvent or other hazardous material (liquid & vapor) from going down the drain?

3. If you no longer use this filter/vacuum set up, what do you use?

thanks for your help!