These chemicals should be removed from the schools if alternatives can be used. For those that must be retained, amounts should be kept to a minimum. These are appropriate for advanced-level High School classes only.
This following list was generated from the Manual of Safety and Health Hazards in the School Science Laboratory published by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health [1984].
Carcinogenic substances were identified from the Report on Carcinogens (10th Edition) generated by the National Toxicology Program (2002).
| Chemical |
CAS Number |
Hazard |
| Acetamide |
60–35–5 |
Combustible solid |
| Aluminum chloride |
7446–70–0 |
Water reactive, corrosive |
| Ammonium bichromate |
7789–09–5 |
Oxidizer, corrosive, known human carcinogen |
| Ammonium oxalate |
1113–38–8 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
| Ammonium vanadate |
7803–55–6 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
| Antimony |
7440–36–0 |
May be fatal if inhaled,
irritant |
| Antimony oxide |
1309–64–4 |
Irritant |
| Antimony potassium tartrate |
11071–15–1 |
Irritant |
| Barium chloride |
10361–37–2 |
May be fatal if ingested,
irritant |
| Benzone (phenylbutazone) |
50–33–9 |
Irritant |
| Beryllium carbonate |
66104–24–3 |
Irritant |
| Bromine |
7726–95–6 |
Oxidizer, corrosive, may be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
| Cadmium and cadmium compounds |
N/A |
Known human carcinogen |
| Carmine |
860–22–0 |
Irritant, burning may produce
carbon monoxide,
carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides,
and nitrogen oxides. |
| Catechol |
120–80–9 |
Corrosive |
| Chromic acid |
7738–94–5 |
Oxidizer, known human carcinogen |
| Chromium acetate |
1066–30–4 |
Irritant |
| Cobalt, metal |
7440–48–4 |
Possible human carcinogen (IARC, Group 2B) |
| Cobalt nitrate |
10141–05–6 |
Oxidizer, irritant |
| Cyclohexane |
110–82–7 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3) |
| Cyclohexene |
110–83–8 |
Flammable (nfpa = 3),
corrosive, forms peroxides |
| Dichloroindophenol sodium salt |
620–45–1 |
Irritant |
| 2,4–Dinitrophenol |
51–28–5 |
Irritant |
| Ferrous Sulfate |
7720–78–7 |
Irritant |
| Formaldehyde (formalin) |
50–00–0 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3),
reasonably anticipated
human carcinogen |
| Fuchsin (acid/basic) |
3244–88–0/ 632–99–5 |
Irritant |
| Gasoline |
8006–61–9 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3) |
| Hematoxylin |
517–28–2 |
Irritant |
| Hydrogen sulfide |
7783–06–4 |
Corrosive |
| Hydroquinone |
123–31–9 |
May be fatal if ingested |
| Isoamyl alcohol
(isopentyl alcohol) |
123–51–3 |
Irritant, combustible liquid and vapor |
| Isobutyl alcohol |
78–83–1 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3) |
| Magnesium chlorate |
10326–21–3 |
Irritant |
| Methyl ethyl ketone |
78–93–3 |
Irritant, flammable
(NFPA = 3) |
| Methyl oleate |
112–62–9 |
Toxic properties not
investigated |
| Nickel carbonate |
3333–67–3 |
Reasonably anticipated
human carcinogen |
| Nickelous acetate |
373–02–4 |
Reasonably anticipated
human carcinogen |
| Paradichlorobenzene |
106–46–7 |
Irritant |
| Pentane |
109–66–0 |
Irritant, flammable
(NFPA = 4) |
| Petroleum ether |
8032–32–4 |
Flammable (NFPA = 4) |
| 1–Phenyl–2–Thiourea
(Phenylthiocarbamide) |
103–85–5 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
| Potassium chlorate |
3811–04–9 |
Oxidizer |
| Potassium chromate |
7789–00–6 |
Oxidizer, known human carcinogen |
| Potassium periodate |
7790–21–8 |
Oxidizer |
| Potassium permanganate |
7722–64–7 |
Oxidizer, corrosive |
| Salol (phenyl salicylate) |
118–55–8 |
Irritant |
| Sodium bromate |
7789–38–0 |
Oxidizer |
| Sodium chlorate |
7775–09–9 |
Oxidizer |
| Sodium fluoride |
7681–49–4 |
May be fatal if inhaled or ingested |
| Sodium oxalate |
62–76–0 |
Corrosive, may be fatal if ingested |
| Sodium nitrate |
7631–99–4 |
Oxidizer, irritant |
| Sodium silicofluoride |
16893–85–9 |
Toxic |
| Sudan III |
85–86–9 |
Decomposes to oxides of nitrogen |
| Sulfamethazine |
57–68–1 |
Irritant |
| Toluene |
108–88–3 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3), irritant, may be fatal if ingested |
| Trichloroethylene |
79–01–6 |
Reasonably anticipated
human carcinogen |
| Urethane |
51–79–6 |
Combustible, reasonably anticipated human
carcinogen |
| Xylenes |
1330–20–7 |
Flammable (NFPA = 3), irritant, may be fatal if ingested |
Appendix
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