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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] water aspirator - vacuum question
Date: December 4, 2012 12:05:35 PM EST
Author: Kristi Ohr 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] water aspirator - vacuum question
Date: December 4, 2012 12:47:00 PM EST
Author: Alex Moretto

From: "Kennedy, Sheila" <s1kennedy**At_Symbol_Here**UCSD.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] water aspirator - vacuum question
Date: December 4, 2012 12:43:15 PM EST
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <CAA4EBLvfWs5hw23P=k0-xeZGYOzwHH_42kQTYnR8co6yBpyyfQ**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>

Kim,
Hello from San Diego (semi-desert). In this part of the world, I'd also be concerned about the amount of (clean, processed) water they're running down the drain.

Sheila Kennedy, C.H.O.
Safety Coordinator | Teaching Laboratories
UCSD Chemistry & Biochemistry
s1kennedy**At_Symbol_Here**ucsd.edu | http://www-chem.ucsd.edu

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Kim Auletta
Sent: Tuesday, December 04, 2012 5:27 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] water aspirator - vacuum question

I need the expert opinion of chemists working with 21st century ideas!

I was in a lab yesterday in Chemistry that is run by a PI older than the hills. His lab is filtering powders and solvents using the sink aspirator. All of the tygon tubing (both sides of vacuum & flasks) is discolored and shows signs of deterioration. They say this tubing is only looking that way because its really old. There was a flask for trap set up between the sample & the sink. I tried to explain that this set up may be allowing solvents to go into the water & down the drain. They tried in their best "I'm the seasoned PhD Chemist and you're not" voices to tell me it was ok and that there was no other way to do this and that everyone, including in industry, does it this way. Really?

So - my questions to all of you enlightened chemists:
1. Do you still use the sink aspirator/vacuum?
2. If so, what kind of trap do you use to prevent solvent or other hazardous material (liquid & vapor) from going down the drain?
3. If you no longer use this filter/vacuum set up, what do you use?

thanks for your help!

Kim Gates Auletta
Laboratory Safety Specialist
Environmental Health & Safety
Stony Brook University
Stony Brook, NY 11794-6200
kim.auletta**At_Symbol_Here**stonybrook.edu
631-632-3032
FAX: 631-632-9683
EH&S Web site: http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/lab/

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