Chlorobutanol (CAS 57-15-8): storage and disposal

A technician can check at the shelf that the jar has an intact cap and a label with a date, because small preservative jars lose both. It belongs in a dry, labelled, well organised general store, away from food items and clearly separated from pharmacy stock for use. Histology rooms keep it with fixatives and mounting reagents, and pharmacies among old formulation ingredients. Because it is harmful if swallowed, keep jars where they cannot be taken for a sweetener or other bench powder, and keep powder and crystals in the original container.

Few visible signs of ageing appear in a jar of chlorobutanol, so the container and record carry the evidence. Look for a lid that does not seat, a label that is stained, faded or missing a date, and clumps where damp has got into the powder. Crystals on the inside of the lid or at the neck are possible with an old and poorly sealed jar. Such changes are not a reason to open the jar. Record any caking or staining and list the jar for collection if the preparation it was bought for no longer exists.

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

There is little to say about handling and plenty about description: a jar of chlorobutanol leaves by specialist collection, packed with compatible organic solids, and the list should state the form, the quantity and any label detail that remains. It must not be tipped into a sink, put in a medicines return bin or binned as an ordinary powder. A university or histology holder can use 16 05 06*, a loose discarded organic chemical can use 16 05 08*, and a pharmacy in a human healthcare setting can use 18 01 06*.

Usually held as: preservative.

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.