Start by trying to find alternatives to hazardous chemicals that are used in large quantities or in teaching. One option is to replace an individual chemical (e.g. a solvent), another is to switch to a different method of analysis with a less hazardous reagent. When no alternatives are available, try to minimise the quantity of hazardous chemicals that are used, either by making fewer tests, or by working on a smaller scale (smaller reaction vessels).
Substitutions that everyone is legally required to do wherever possible:
- Halogenated solvents (replaced with non-halogenated solvents)
- Lead, cadmium, mercury, and other heavy metals
- CMR substances (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic)
The purchasers should provide information about better alternatives when such are available. Our chemical management system, KLARA, can be used as an aid in the substitution work. There you can, for example, print lists of your department’s use of CMR substances, phase-out substances, or other types of substances you want to prioritise working with. Substances labelled as phase-out substances in KLARA include licensed substances, CMR substances, substances on Chemsec’s SIN list, and substances on the Candidate List of SVHC (an EU list of substances that require extra close attention and special handling).
Moreover, the University is active in the National Substitution Group (NSG), which is a national network aiming to help each other substitute hazardous chemicals in health care and research. By exchanging experiences of successful substitutions, each institution’s substitution work can be made easier. NSG has developed a substitution list with a few examples that anyone can use, see the link below.
