By Sheldon Greaves, Ph.D.

Photo: Andy Schultz

Ever since 9/11 anyone who works with scientific equipment or materials at home knows that perfectly innocent experiments could be mistaken for something more nefarious. Restrictions on purchasing chemicals was bad enough because of the “War on Drugs” where famously, the state of Texas makes it a Class A misdemeanor to own an “unregistered” Erlenmeyer flask among other dastardly items such a filter funnel. Besides the drug war, there was the fear of litigation that reduced once-grand chemistry sets and their right of passage for the young and the geeky to objects of well deserved ridicule.

A few brave souls are working to overturn the chilling effect of the current  climate. It is my sincerely hope that someday soon the home chemist will return to take his or her rightful place among citizen scientists. In the meantime, I’d like to introduce readers who do not know about them to an information and safety resource for anyone working with chemicals.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are compilations of information about chemical substances and industrial products that tell you what you need to know to handle the material safely. In addition to a summary of physical properties, you will find instructions from how to store it, what to do if you  spill it, symptoms of exposure, substances you shouldn’t mix with it, and so on. Many MSDS are authored by Government agencies, others are produced by chemical manufacturers.

If you have a lab or workshop, especially if you do chemistry or use chemicals on a regular basis, it’s probably a good idea to locate, print, and keep a file of MSDS for any chemicals you work with on the premises. In addition to the information they contain, if someone starts asking nosey questions about whether what you are doing is safe, you can refer them to your file or binder filled with MSDS to show them that you aren’t just winging it.

There are several places to find MSDS. Many web sites offer access to databases as inducement to registering to sign up for something. However, most of what you need to know is available for free. Here are some sources you can use to find the MSDS you need.

OSHA/EPA Occupational Chemical Database
For chemicals, this is the first place to look. This database has entries for thousands of common (and many not-so-common) substances. It provides information just for physical properties, exposure guidelines, a “pocket guide” or a full report.  Access is free; your tax dollars at work.

Household Products Database
Courtesy of the US Department of Health and Human Services, this is a listing of a vast number of chemical products from flea shampoo to air freshener to thin-set mortar to floor stripper. Search by product name, manufacturer, active ingredient(s), and health effects. Free access.

MSDSXchange
(From their website) “MSDSXchange is the largest and most comprehensive reference collection of chemical manufacturer and distributor listings available on the web. In addition to this extensive collection, there are over 1 million manufacturer’s original material safety data sheets.” Updates come in at the rate of about 10,000 per month. Free registration lets you build your own online binder of MSDS, but registration is not required to search the database.

If you use chemicals in your scientific (or nonscientific) work around the house, it’s a good idea to get familiar with these resources.