– In 2003, a student’s discovery of 8.5 fluid ounces of elemental mercury in an unlocked chemistry cabinet forced a high school in Washington, D.C., to close for 35 days. The cleanup cost more than $1 million.
In August 2008, a school janitor spilled two gallons of hydrochloric acid at the Edison Technical and Occupational Education Center in Rochester, N.Y. One employee inhaled the fumes and had to be taken to the hospital for evaluation.
From elementary school maintenance closets to high school chemistry labs, outdated, unknown or unneeded amounts of hazardous or inappropriate chemicals are found in K-12 schools across the nation, potentially putting students and staff at risk.
Learning about the chemistry in the world around us is essential to a well-rounded education, yet many lab chemicals, if mismanaged, can be hazardous to students and school staff. Ceramics kilns are sometimes vented directly into schools, releasing carbon monoxide, metal fumes and ozone. The use of flammable and volatile products by maintenance staff can pose fire safety issues and affect the indoor air quality.
Other potential hazards found in public schools have included:
- cyanide salts
- water reactive metals such as sodium, lithium and potassium
- arsenic
- flammable materials such as paint thinner
- radioactive materials such as thorium nitrate and uranium tetrachloride
In addition to the presence of hazardous materials, more risk comes when school staff is not properly trained in the hazards associated with them, and where there is a lack of protective equipment or health and safety practices.