ALERT Manganese Dioxide

[rae]

Good Morning all,

Just had a big shock.

We are going to use a small amount of manganese dioxide in an assessment task on Friday. I was printing out labels from Chemwatch and noticed all the hazard alerts so decided to do a double check with the MSDS I have printed and CSIS.
Chemwatch have update the Hazard alert from moderate to extreme and CSIS says it is not hazardous and doesn't even list it as an oxidizing agent!!

It is a worry when CSIS is SOoooo obviously outdated and a lot of us use it as our chemical bible!!!

BIT OF A WORRY!!!

Lorrae

[linotas]

I just cleaned up a prac using it last week. A teacher had left the whole lot in a tub and I had no idea what it was (they other labbie had prepped it) I checked the MSDS we had printed out and it seemed fine so I washed it up down the drain (we do have scrubbers on all sink waste). I think I was wearing washing up gloves at that stage. Certainly pays to check everything that hasn't been used frequently.

[Narelle01]

the new MSDS is dated 4/8/11

[Krysia Lee]

So when something goes from a moderate to extreme hazard alert code does that make it for teacher use only and perhaps Yr11 & 12?

[Labbie]

Very good question Krysia, but it will be a while before the DEC, get around to that one.

From the CSIS manganese (IV) Oxide is 7-12 class 5.1
page 153.

Manganese (VII) Oxide is banned chemical in DEC schools

[RosalieM]

Perhaps Rae was looking at labels for Manganese (VII) Oxide rather than Manganese (IV) Oxide?

[rae]

No I wasn't looking at Manganese (VII) oxide.
I obviously have a very old copy (ie an original)of the CSIS because mine, for Manganese Dioxide (Manganese (IV) oxide) says 7-12 NR.
Chemwatch has definitely change their MSDS from moderate to extreme for this same chemical.The chronic exposure has gone from 2 to 4 and it will cause cancer!! Just be aware that we should all be careful of what the CSIS quotes.

[Robdean]

My CSIS is the same! p153 Manganese (IV)oxide (manganese dioxide) is listed as 7 -12, NR

[Labbie]

Yes you are all correct the CSIS does state is N_C or NR non reactive. I changed mine when chemwatch changed the class to 5.1.

[Ian]

It has definitely changed from a Yellow MSDS to a RED MSDS on 4/8/11. The new MSDS states that it "May cause CANCER". I have just removed the green dots from the 10 bottles in my store and replaced the green dots with RED dots. My HOD suggests that we should get rid of most (if not all) of it as we have an informal policy of not keeping carcinogens on site if they can be avoided.

It will be interesting to see how the change effects our junior classes where it is often used to make Oxygen gas from Hydrogen Peroxide. (some of our teachers have trouble changing when they "have always done it" a certain way.)

It might be possible to use Potassium Iodide as a substitute for MnO2 as it also acts as a catalyst in the same way. It has a yellow MSDS, but has "possible risk of harm to the unborn child". We do not have many pregnant girls in year 8 to do "glowing splint" tests with O2, but the Chem teacher will not be allowed to use it!

How are other Labbies dealing with the change in classification of MnO2?

Ian

[jodye]

I just mentioned this to my HOD & printed off a new MSDS. She has said we wont be using it any more due to the change.
Thanks Lorrae for bringing this up. I wouldn't have known until I needed to re-do my MSDS. It would be good if there was some way of an alert being issued when any classification is changed.

[rae]

For this assessment task we are doing I have discussed with the teacher the change in the MSDS. We have decided to go ahead and use it but only supply minimal quantities and give a big warning to the kids verbally and on their hand out.

I like your procedure Ian I will discuss it with my HOD and go from there.

It just really concerns me that we keep these MDSD for 5 years. Normally I wouldn't have updated the MSDS for this until 2013 as that was my procedure. It was just that I noticed the labels because I was printing some for pots that I was going to place the small quantities in.
What does everybody else do as far as checking MSDS regularly? I do only do them every 5 years.

Lorrae

[jodye]

I am like you Lorrae. I dont have time to check MSDS on a regular basis..as long as its every 5 years. Thats why I wondered if there is some way of getting an alert..maybe from Chemwatch??

[Labbie]

I check our mSDS each year, during term 4.

[Narelle01]

i have just decided that I will do min in term 4 too - as do another chem stock take at the same time. And make it term 4 each year from now on.

I just gave out a lot of this chemical last week....!!
I am about to email the chemistry teacher and tell her of the change to the MSDS.

[Labbie]

I agree we should have a alert system. But than again thank godness for Chemtalk, in a way it is a alert system in its self. Well done every one.

[MariaC]

Thanks Rae, have changed and informed the HT, thank goodness for Chemtalk, MariaC

[kjt]

Hi,

If you have your chemicals register/manifest stored in Chemwatch (you don't need quantities) you can export the data to Excel and include a column listing all the MSDS issue dates. (You have to have a copy less than 5 years old from the issue date, not the print date).

I then just check the list once per year and print out new MDSDs for those that are out of date. Saves a lot of page turning!

[rell]

With all this talk i had to look up chemwatch. It says "Manganese Dioxide silica crystalline quartz" Hazard extreme but when i looked up the vendor section under Science Supply (my supplier) i find its listed as Manganese Dioxide.
NO mention of silica crystalline quartz. So my question where did the silica crystalline quartz come from?
Narelle

[dime]

Don't pretend to be very good at Chemwatch, but when I looked up manganese IV oxide, it came up with two.
1. Merck Manganese (IV) oxide powder with Moderate hazard rating, and no mention of cancer warning
2. Manganese dioxide with Extreme hazard rating, and cancer warning.
It would seem to me that they are exactly the same product, so it depends on which one you choose to read. This is where Chemwatch is confusing. Whilst it is better to err on the side of caution, one must take into account the way a chemical is used in a school. I think this is what CSIS is all about. Other oxidisers are rated Green dot for use with 7-12. So whilst I will change the label to 5.1, I will leave it as a green dot, until the dept changes it in an update.
I'm happy to blame my new glasses, but I couldn't see where it mentioned harm to unborn on either of these summaries. But happy to stand corrected.