We have used a fresh solution of 1 quart 3% hydrogen peroxide (drug store strength), =BC cup baking soda and 1 teaspoon of liquid dishwashing soap to neutralize beta-mercaptoethanol contaminated material. I also use it on my dogs when they've lost an argument to a skunk and they lose every time.

Timothy M. Hauser, CHMM
Manager, Environmental, Health & Safety
Promega Corporation
2800 Woods Hollow Road, Madison WI 53711 USA
Timothy.Hauser**At_Symbol_Here**promega.com | Direct (608) 298-4807 | Cell: (262) 844-1665 | Fax: (608) 277-2677

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Kristi Ohr
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 1:22 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] working with Ethanedithiol

Hi Yung,

Paul is right on.  I've always used a 1:2 (volume:volume) household bleach:water solution for thiols.

Kristi

________________________________________
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] on behalf of Paul Harrison [pharriso**At_Symbol_Here**UNIVMAIL.CIS.MCMASTER.CA]
Sent: Wednesday, August 15, 2012 2:04 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] working with  Ethanedithiol

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 <pmorgan**At_Symbol_Here**EHS.UMASS.EDU> 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