Several years ago I was the NEW Science Department chair at a 50+ year old junior high in Miami.  As soon as I got there I began cleaning out the storage room which was the attic over the office and directly behind my classroom.  A few days before Thanksgiving I found a half empty bottle of
picric acid on a metal shelving unit about half way back in the attic.  The metal cap on the bottle was rusted through and the ring had fallen down the neck of the bottle.  Picris acid is volatile when it comes in contact with oxygen.  Because the top of the jar was rusted most of the liquid
in which the picric acid was stored had evaporated.  I immediately notified the principal and told her I was calling the county hazardous material number to ask how to dispose of the bottle.  The principal instructed me not to call until after school was out - 6 hours away.  I returned to my
room and after about ten minutes of thought I called HazMat anyway.  Within 15 minutes the Bomb Squad was at the school, evacuated all the children to a three block safe area and put the bottle in a bomb bucket.  The next day I got a call from HazMat telling me that they had disposed of the
picric acid at a bomb disposal site and that if that bottle had been in the attic only a few more weeks it probably would have exploded, taking out the school, a portion of Metrorail and part of the University of Miami.

So when dealing with chemicals in unknown condition my advice is to always err on the side of caution.  No matter what the principal says!

Anne Hartmann

Randi Sue Smith wrote:

> Some chemicals become unstable with age.  We were warned about a
> chemical used in fish culture, picric acid, that crystalizes with
> age, with the crystals becoming explosive.
>
> We have had someone from the chemistry department at the local
> university look at materials in the collection and make
> recommendations as to their safety, what should be dumped, what was
> okay.
>
> Chemicals on exhibit need to be secure from visitors.
>
> Randi
> DC Booth
>
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  *  Clint and Anne Hartmann
  *  3943 Parkway Blvd.                 *  PHONE:  813.996.7986
  *  Land O'Lakes, FL 34639             *    FAX:  813.996.0225

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