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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] working with Ethanedithiol
Date: August 15, 2012 2:57:19 PM EDT
Author: ILPI 		Next by Date:
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Inventory Regulations
Date: August 15, 2012 4:28:53 PM EDT
Author: Frankie Wood-Black

From: Lee Latimer <lhlatimer**At_Symbol_Here**MINDSPRING.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] working with Ethanedithiol
Date: August 15, 2012 2:57:25 PM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <web-419305969**At_Symbol_Here**cgpsrv2.cis.mcmaster.ca>

It is actually ethane thiol (ethyl mercaptan) used in gas lines, but t-buty
and ethyl mercaptan smell the same, and have the same results mentioned with
the local fire department. We had a similar dituation happen in grad school
in the middle of morning classes resulting in many really annoyed people and
a significant investment by the university to address wind issues in
venting. In our case it was a single 10 ml graduated cylinder left in the
back of the hood after use.

For reactions, be sure to vent the N2 or other inert atmosphere through the
bleach or base solutions.

Lee

On 8/15/12 11:04 AM, "Paul Harrison"
wrote:

I am not surprised that no-one will touch the thiol-bearing glassware!

You need a hood; don't even think of a glove bag, they are under positive
pressure, which will just pump out more stench.

For clean-up, have a bucket of dilute bleach to hand, IN THE HOOD. Put
everything in it and let it soak. Yes, the pipettes, tips, glassware, and I
also have dropped my used gloves in the bleach if in any doubt about their
state of cleanliness. In summary, NOTHING leaves the hood!

I also advise checking where on the roof your hood vents. If the wind is
blowing the wrong way, the vented air can be sucked back into the building air
inlet. My lab has had this happen with tert-butanethiol; the result is that
the building smells the same as it would in the case of a gas leak, since this
thiol is what is used to make natural gas smell. Result? Someone pulls the
fire alarm, the engines roll in.... and one's popularity plummets to a new
low.

Good luck!

Paul

On Wed, 15 Aug 2012 12:17:54 -0400
Yung Morgan wrote:
Dear members,

Hope the Summer is finding you well and somewhat rested(?). A question came
from our sister school re: working with Ethane dithiol in a glove box. Any
thought on this? Also what kind of decontamination procedures for glassware
before disposing? We usually find glass only boxes full of smelly broken
glass and our custodial group would refuse to remove them.

Again thank you so much for any thought you may have. Continue doing great
work and enjoying the last of Summer.

Best wishes

Yung Morgan, MsPH
Laboratory Safety
Industrial Hygiene Services
Environmental Health and Safety
117 Draper hall
UMASS,Amherst MA 01003
phone (413) 545-2682
Fax (413) 545-2600
email : pmorgan**At_Symbol_Here**ehs.umass.edu
IH motivation: saving the world, one fume hood at the time. YM

Paul Harrison
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
McMaster University
1280 Main St. W., Hamilton, ON, L8S 4M1, Canada
Phone: (905)525-9140 ext. 27290; FAX: (905)522-2509

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