Dear DCHAS Colleagues,

I'm a part time adjunct lab instructor at a community college. I would appreciate your advice on a situation in my organic chemistry teaching lab today.

One of my students confided last semester (in general chemistry II) that she has experienced multiple early pregnancy losses over the years and how heartbreaking that was for her. Now today, a brand new semester, in organic chemistry, she shared the joyful news that she is expecting and asked if there are concerns with her working with or handling today's lab materials.

I reached out to a nearby more experienced colleague just down the hall but received little direction beyond the idea that she should avoid handling chemicals directly and instead contribute through documentation and observations while her partner does the manipulations.

Today’s experiment was a simple extraction using naphthalene and benzoic acid, but the naphthalene odor became more noticeable as the first hour progressed even with good ventilation and fume hood use. Out of caution, I excused her from the lab after reviewing information that indicates naphthalene fumes can be problematic during pregnancy.

I would like to know from this group:

• Do your institutions have written policies or guidelines for mothers-to-be in teaching labs?
• Are there specific substances (like naphthalene or common solvents) you flag as higher-risk during pregnancy?
• How do you balance protecting health while still supporting a student’s educational progress?

Given her personal history, I want to be proactive in safeguarding her well-being while keeping her on track academically. Any perspectives, examples, or resources would be very helpful.