Acrylonitrile (CAS 107-13-1): storage and disposal

Read the date on the label from where the bottle stands, before anyone touches it, because an undated or long opened bottle changes what happens next. Sound stock belongs in a ventilated fire-resistant cabinet with spill containment, away from ignition sources and oxidisers, with access limited to people who know it is toxic through the skin as well as by inhalation. Strong acids and alkalis must be kept well apart, as both can set off polymerisation. Warmth and direct light are also poor neighbours for it, which rules out a shelf near a window or a radiator. If a fridge is really needed, it must be a spark-free one. Date checks should be on someone's named list.

Good stock is a clear, colourless, thin liquid. Yellowing suggests impurities have built up. A white haze or powdery solid is more serious, since the polymer does not stay dissolved in the monomer and settles out where it can be seen. A bulging or warm container means a reaction may already be under way, so keep people away and call your site emergency contact. A fallen level shows that vapour has been escaping past the seal. Loss of inhibitor itself cannot be seen. It is also treated as a peroxide former, and any peroxide testing is for competent staff only. If it is old, undated or shows any of these signs, do not move it, do not open it, and get a specialist assessment.

This can form peroxides as it ages, especially after opening. Age and the opened date matter more than appearance, so a container with no opened date should be treated as old.

By specialist collection only. It never goes down the drain or into general waste. It is normally packed in a flammable laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

16 05 06* covers it as a laboratory chemical in a lab pack, but that code does not make it a routine item. Legacy bottles need specialist review before anyone packs them, so flag that when you first get in touch. Record the bottle size, the level, any date, and whether you can see haze or solid from outside the glass. It travels in a flammable and toxic group, kept apart from oxidisers and acids. Its long lasting toxicity to aquatic life gives one more reason that no rinsing or residue may reach a sink or drain. Nobody should add anything to the bottle in an attempt to stabilise it.

Usually held as: legacy stock.

Part-used bottles and full containers are both fine. Tell us the size and how many, and an estimate is enough for a first price.