This is where we post local and regional news items, safety precautions, regulatory changes, recommendations, etc., regarding environmental health and safety matters.
Bioremediation is cost saver for clean up of spills from minor auto accidents.
The incident at UCLA suggests that chloroform can break down and form phosgene in older containers. Initial symptoms of exposure include throat irritation, coughing, chest pain, nausea and difficulty breathing. Severe symptoms such as extreme difficulty breathing may appear one to twenty-four hours after exposure. Amylene, a common stabilizer, will reduce, but not prevent, the generation of phosgene. Open chloroform containers in a chemical fume hood and use it in the fume hood as much as possible.