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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Old Bleach
Date: Monday, October 25, 2021 at 6:12:26 PM
Author: MN Cooper <00000313ede34dce-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU> 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Respirator Cartridges: Single Purpose vs. Combination
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2021 17:41:13 -0500
Author: John Callen

From: Heinz Trebitz <heinztrebitz**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Old Bleach
Date: Mon, 25 Oct 2021 18:38:04 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: bc5d9516-98d5-ba1f-6d57-944685cad2b6**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com
In-Reply-To <2F131E69-E2FE-4CCC-B274-C09539EBC2F3**At_Symbol_Here**yahoo.com>


Hello All:

I find the e-mail exchange interesting and somewhat amusing. There are two elements here, one the chemical suitability and concentration issue, the other whether the solution is permitted to be used for the intended purpose. I don't think that the EPA registration number has any bearing on the bleaching question, other than limiting the concentration to what EPA deems to be safe. Nor do I think that there is any difference in quality between commercial and industrial use.
The practical answer is: use the solution at the right concentration.
A call for caution: the bleach container should/must have a label. If there is none, how do you know the content is bleach? When in doubt, discard it (appropriate for it's hazardous content).
Is the money saved for "recycled" use worth the unknown risk?

Heinz Trebitz


On 10/25/2021 6:12 PM, MN Cooper wrote:
Bleach does slowly degrade with time. However, if you are looking to disinfect with a concentration around 50ppm +/- you should be fine. You could analyse a sample to be sure.å

V/r,å
Mike

Michael N. Cooper MS, MPH, CIH
Certified Industrial Hygienist
Radiation Protection Technologist
mcooperconsulting**At_Symbol_Here**yahoo.com


Adjunct Professor
Department of Community and Environmental Health
School of Allied Health Sciences,
College of Health Scienceså
Boise State Universityå
michaelcooper961**At_Symbol_Here**boisestate.edu
(408) 313-2127


On Oct 25, 2021, at 15:50, Margaret Rakas <mrakas**At_Symbol_Here**smith.edu> wrote:

If it isn‰??t Clorox (or another brand with an EPA registration #) it is not suitable for disinfection of infectious agents. An EPA registration number is required for all disinfectants.å

If it is Clorox (or another company has registered theirs w EPA during the pandemic) then I would find the lot # on the bottle and call the company. å They can tell you if it has expired as a disinfectant.
Good luck w this!
Margaret

Sent from my iPhone

On Oct 25, 2021, at 5:45 PM, Patricia Leach <Patricia.Leach**At_Symbol_Here**tamuc.edu> wrote:

•ÈÀ

Hello,

I was wondering about using old stocks of bleach for disinfecting in bio labs. The bleach is about 2 years old and has never been opened. I am not sure if it is industrial or commercially available bleach. Any advice would be appreciated.

å

Patricia Leach

Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator

Emergency Management and Safety

Texas A&M University - Commerce

P: 903.468.3278

C: 316.644.8255

å

Mail:å P.O. Box 3011, Commerce, TX 75429

å

å

å

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