A Study To Reduce Chemical Waste Generated in Chemistry Teaching Laboratories

Abstract

Chemical waste should be reduced to minimize environmental pollution, and it is important that the amount of waste is minimized in chemistry teaching laboratories to reduce the negative impact on environment as well as the disposal costs of university. There are several ways to minimize the waste generated in chemistry teaching laboratories, namely, (1) elimination or reduction of the source of pollution, (2) recycling and reusing the chemicals, (3) treatment of waste to minimize its hazards, (4) the use of microscale chemistry, and (5) better management of chemical inventories in the laboratories. In this study, the common course syllabi and laboratory techniques of chemistry undergraduate experiments in universities are evaluated. The masses and volumes of chemical reagents used in the chemistry teaching laboratories of National University of Singapore (NUS) are quantified. Chemical waste reduction practices of the universities are examined, and a checklist is used to evaluate the current waste reduction practices in the chemistry teaching laboratories of NUS. Although there are existing practices that reduce the amount of chemicals used and waste generated in teaching laboratories, more effort could be done to improve the situation further.