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Chemical collection and stock control for UK schools, universities and hospitals

Bromobenzene (CAS 108-86-1): storage and disposal

Bromobenzene is a dense, heavy-smelling liquid held neat in school, college and university stores, mostly for organic teaching. It is flammable, irritates skin and is toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. Its signal word is Warning, which is milder than many solvents in the same cupboard, but a flammable liquid with an aquatic hazard still needs proper storage and collection.

CAS number
108-86-1
Form
Liquid
Storage class
Flammable
Signal word
Warning
Usual EWC code, laboratory stock
16 05 06*
  • Flammable pictogramFlammable
  • Harmful or irritant pictogramHarmful or irritant
  • Hazardous to the environment pictogramHazardous to the environment

What to do this week

  1. Without moving anything that looks damaged, check the label is readable and write down the opened date if it is not already there.
  2. Check it is stored as flammable stock, and apart from anything listed under "Do not store with" on this page. If nothing is listed, that does not prove it is safe with everything.
  3. If you no longer need it, add it to your disposal list so it can be included in a collection.

Safe storage in a school or lab

Amber glass is how it tends to arrive, and that bottle belongs in the ventilated fire-resistant cabinet with spill containment, away from ignition sources. Oxidisers, oxidising acids and leaking corrosive stock must be kept clear, since each can ignite a flammable liquid or damage its container. Alkali metals should not share the cabinet with halogenated liquids either. Because it irritates skin, the bottle should sit on a low shelf where it can be lifted down safely. Teaching labs often hold a half-used bottle from a past term, so check the date and note the last use.

How to tell it has deteriorated

Appearance helps little with this liquid, but the normal state is a clear liquid at close to its labelled level. Abnormal signs are mostly about the container: a falling level, a dried cap liner, a stained label, residue at the neck and a smell in the cabinet that was not there before. A faint tint is worth noting rather than explaining. Bottles that have been refilled from another container, or relabelled by hand with the wrong name, are the most common source of trouble in a teaching store. A bulging wall should be left alone on a tray.

How it is disposed of

We arrange this by specialist collection. We do not publish a drain or general waste route for any chemical. It is normally packed in a flammable laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

A lab pack of compatible halogenated flammable liquids is how bromobenzene leaves the site, packed by the collector. Because it is toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects, it must never be poured into a sink or drain, and nobody should try to treat it first. For laboratory packs the usual list code is 16 05 06*, and a loose discarded organic chemical not sent in a pack can use 16 05 08*. Before the collector arrives, note the bottle size, remaining level and any change in the cap or label.

Waste codes for Bromobenzene
Usual EWC code, laboratory stock16 05 06*
Discarded organic chemical, not a laboratory pack16 05 08*
Usually classed as hazardous wasteYes

20 01 13* (solvents) belongs to municipal collections and is shown for reference only. It is not the normal code for a laboratory collection.

The code depends on where the waste came from and what it contains, and classifying it is the producer's duty. Use the waste code finder to see why.

Do not store with

  • OxidiserOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • AcidSome acids, especially oxidising acids, can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • CorrosiveA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.

Named chemicals to keep apart

  • Acetic acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Calcium hypochloriteOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Hydrochloric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Hydrogen peroxideOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Nitric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
  • Potassium nitrateOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Potassium permanganateOxidisers can ignite flammable materials or make a fire far more intense.
  • Sulfuric acidOxidising acids can ignite flammable materials, and acid fumes attack containers and seals.
Show 2 more
  • Thionyl chlorideA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.
  • Zinc chlorideA leak of corrosive stock can break down flammable containers and feed a fire.

Common quantities

Usually held as: neat.

Tell us the container size and how many you hold. An estimate is enough to start with, and some items cannot be priced until someone has looked at them.

Where it is commonly held

Hazard statements

  • H226 Flammable liquid and vapour.
  • H315 Causes skin irritation.
  • H411 Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects.
Precautionary statements
  • P210 Keep away from heat, hot surfaces, sparks, open flames and other ignition sources. No smoking.
  • P233 Keep container tightly closed.
  • P240 Ground and bond container and receiving equipment.
  • P241 Use explosion-proof electrical, ventilating and lighting equipment.
  • P242 Use non-sparking tools.
  • P243 Take action to prevent static discharges.
  • P264 Wash hands and exposed skin thoroughly after handling.
  • P273 Avoid release to the environment.
  • P280 Wear protective gloves, protective clothing, eye protection and face protection.
  • P302+P352 IF ON SKIN: Wash with plenty of water.
  • P303+P361+P353 IF ON SKIN (or hair): Take off immediately all contaminated clothing. Rinse skin with water or shower.
  • P321 Specific treatment (see supplemental first aid instruction on this label).
  • P332+P317 If skin irritation occurs: Get medical help.
  • P362+P364 Take off contaminated clothing. And wash it before reuse.
  • P370+P378 In case of fire: Use suitable extinguishing media to extinguish.
  • P391 Collect spillage.
  • P403+P235 Store in a well-ventilated place. Keep cool.
  • P501 Dispose of contents and container in accordance with local, regional, national and international regulations.

Substance as classified, dilutions may differ.

Questions

Where should half-used bromobenzene bottles be kept?

In the ventilated flammables cabinet, on a tray, with the cap firmly seated and the label legible. A half-used bottle loses vapour more easily, so check the closure at each stock review and list it if it is no longer needed.

Does bromobenzene harm water life?

It is classified as toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. That is why spills must be contained and never washed into a drain, and why collection is by a specialist carrier rather than by any local route.

Can we mix it with other halogenated waste ourselves?

No. Mixing unlabelled liquids makes accurate description harder and can create hazards. Leave each bottle as it is and let the collector group compatible items in a lab pack.

Guidance only. Check your own risk assessment and your supplier's safety data sheet.

Hazard data source: PubChem GHS Classification, retrieved 31 Oct 2026. Formula C6H5Br. EC number 203-623-8.

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