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DCHAS-L Discussion List Archive

From: Raymond Ng <drrayng**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Butyl Lithium & syringe safety
Date: March 7, 2013 2:16:39 PM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <CAA4EBLtk1T8Dp=FGoE9QpNp67DjzTj2eyKjrnBHYuH7TQ0DGHA**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>


1) Residual organometallics in the syringe can react with moisture in the air and cause a fire. Residual reagent can be carefully rinsed out with heptane and quenched carefully with methanol.
2) Yes, keeping a sharps container in the hood is a good idea just in case a fire starts in the sharps container.
3) Syringes should be disposed of in a sharps container.
Considering the lab accident involving t-butyllithium and plastic syringes, I recommend using gas-tight glass/teflon syringes with luer lock. There is less chance of accidentally pulling the plunger out of the syringe during filling when using a gas-tight.
Ray Ng
Site Safety Officer
CoMentis

On Thu, Mar 7, 2013 at 8:52 AM, Kim Gates <kim.gates**At_Symbol_Here**stonybrook.edu> wrote:
I have a question from our Chem dept about nButyl Lithium & syringes after I forwarded them the CEN blog on safer syringes. http://cenblog.org/the-safety-zone/2013/02/engineering-safer-syringes/

The lab's SOP calls for not reusing their syringes & only filling them 50%. I asked them to write in more clearly that they are to dispose in sharps container.

The questions I'm hoping any of you with similar hazards can help with:

1. Is there enough residual material in the syringe that it could be hazardous?
2. Should there be a sharps container stored in the fume hood for the exclusive use of these syringes (avoiding incompatible material that may be left in the syringe)
3. If not a sharps container, what/how does your labs dispose of these syringes?

thanks!



Kim Gates
Laboratory Safety Specialist
Environmental Health & Safety
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-6200
Kim.Gates**At_Symbol_Here**stonybrook.edu
631-632-3032
FAX: 631-632-9683
EH&S Web site: http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/lab/

Please note my name and email have changed.

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