From: Nora Dunkel <noradunkel51**At_Symbol_Here**WEBSTER.EDU>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Old Perchloric Spill-Wooden Cabinet
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 2020 17:58:08 +0000
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: DM6PR11MB4579C1C4858FC5F9DD27D18DCB240**At_Symbol_Here**DM6PR11MB4579.namprd11.prod.outlook.com


Hello all,

 

What is the best way to deal with a perchloric acid spill on wood, when the spill occurred several months ago? 

 

A biology faculty member recently retired and his lab space was assigned to another biologist.  When the new PI moved into the lab, she discovered purple splash marks on a wooden cabinet.  Apparently, the previous PI had spilled some concentrated perchloric acid (70%) and the acid stained the wood.  Nobody is sure exactly when the spill occurred—sometime between October 2018 and February 2020.

 

Besides the risk of spontaneous fire, what other hazards do these doors pose?  Should the doors be disposed of as hazardous waste?  If so, what hazards should the waste hauler and I consider?  The cabinet doors will need to be removed to dispose of them; do they need to be treated as potentially explosive?  How should they be stored until our next waste pickup?

 

A photo of the cabinet is here:  https://websteru-my.sharepoint.com/:i:/g/personal/noradunkel51_webster_edu/EQWTp-1gsb9Om9_2J0S82O0BeJAMAFe-lao45vMMYQ77Gg?e=bZFZPS

 

Thanks for your help!

Nora

 

Nora Dunkel

 

Chemical Safety Officer

Webster University

Browning Hall 314

314-246-2244 (office)

661-348-1445 (cell)

noradunkel51**At_Symbol_Here**webster.edu

 

 

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post



The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.