Dear DivCHAS members, (NACHOS, et al.)

On Tuesday May 10 at about 2:30 PM there was an explosion and subsequent
fire in the unoccupied Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Stockroom. Two
students were at the help window and we jolted by the blast. Fortunately no
one was seriously injured, and these students received only one small skin
laceration each from the flying glass. One was on a student's forehead, the
other on the other students' hand.

There is a lot more to tell, and of course we are working on a report for
the Chancellor. We are interviewing the relevant staff tomorrow morning and
already have a couple of working theories as to the causes. The reason I am
bothering you-all right now relates to one of the most likely immediate
causes. The labs had been conducting the usual qualitative organic analysis
labs for the previous couple of weeks and the explosion occurred in the area
of the waste containers. We strongly suspect the Tollen's test reagents
and/or waste were left unattended on a cart for at least four days, if not
many more.

For those interested, some websites that describe this method of testing for
aldehydes include:
www.chemistry.ccsu.edu/glagovich/teaching/472/qualanal/tests/tollens.html
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CCA/CCA5/MAIN/1ORGANIC/ORG12/TRAM12/D/0
384525/MOVIE.HTM
www.uni-regensburg.de/Fakultaeten/nat_Fak_IV/Organische_Chemie/Didaktik/Keus
ch/D-Tollens-e.htm

This is as RedOx reaction and the active species is the Ag+ ion which
accepts an electron to plate out the silver mirror.

Do you know of the mechanism for the tendency for the Tollens reagent to
explode on storage?

I'll follow-up with more information soon (probably after the AIHce
conference in Anaheim next week).

Sincerely,
-Russ

Russell Vernon, Ph.D.
Laboratory / Research Safety Specialist
Interim Integrated Waste Manager
Environmental Health & Safety
University of California, Riverside
900 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92521

russell.vernon**At_Symbol_Here**ucr.edu
www.ehs.ucr.edu

Direct: (951) 827-5119
Admin: (951) 827-5528
Fax: (951) 827-5122

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