Iodoethane (CAS 75-03-6): storage and disposal

A dry, labelled, well organised store suits it, with the stock in a dark glass bottle or closed box, away from direct light. The sensitising effects matter more than the class suggests: someone who has become sensitised by inhalation may react to very small exposures, so keep the list of people who handle it short, and work with it only in a fume cupboard. In a university lab the bottle often sits among other alkyl halides in matching glass, so check that the name on the label is the right one. Keep it away from food supplies.

Light is the thing iodoethane suffers from. A clear liquid slowly turns yellow, then brown as iodine is released, and an old bottle may leave brown staining on the cap, neck and shelf. Stained labels, a dried cap liner and a lowered level also show age. Because a vapour leak could affect a sensitised person, a bottle whose cap has failed or whose smell reaches the room should be reported and left alone. Do not open a browned bottle to look inside, and note the colour on the record.

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 We do not publish a drain or general waste route for any chemical.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 general laboratory pack with compatible chemicals.

Specialist collection is the only route for iodoethane, in compatible groups of halogenated organics. It must not be poured away, evaporated or moved to a fresh bottle, and nobody should try to treat discoloured stock. Say on the list that it is browned if it is, give the size and level, and mention any staining on the cap. The usual list code is 16 05 06* for packed laboratory stock, and a loose discarded organic chemical not sent in a pack can use 16 05 08*. Keep the label legible until collection.

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.