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Methylene Chloride/Dichloromethane
This is an SOP template and is not complete until: 1) lab specific information is entered into the
box below 2) lab specific protocol/procedure is added to the protocol/procedure section and
3) SOP has been signed and dated by the PI and relevant lab personnel.
Print a copy and insert into your
Laboratory Safety Manual and Chemical Hygiene Plan.
Refer to instructions for assistance.
Department:
Principal Investigator:
Lab Phone:
Office Phone:
Emergency Contact:
(Building/Room Number)
Type of SOP:
Process
Hazardous Chemical
Hazardous Class
Purpose
Methylene chloride or dichloromethane (DCM) is used as a solvent for thin-layer chromatography in
isolating organic compounds. It is also used to clean various kinds of lab equipment (acrylic). Work under
the hood, as this is a volatile compound. It also penetrates all standard lab gloves (ie latex and nitrile), so
different material gloves should be used when using DCM for cleaning equipment.
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Boiling point:
Potential Hazards/Toxicity
LD50
Oral: 1600 mg/kg [Rat]
Permission Exposure Limits (PEL):
25 ppm
12.5 ppm (8-hour TWA Action Level)
Acute Effects
Very hazardous in case of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation. In case of ingestion, DCM may
cause irritation of the gastrointestinal tract with vomiting. If vomiting results in aspiration, chemical
pneumonia could follow. Absorption through gastrointestinal tract may produce symptoms of central
nervous system depression ranging from light headedness to unconsciousness.
Hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant, permeator). Inflammation of the eye is characterized by
redness, watering, and itching. Eye contact may cause temporal eye damage.
Chronic Effects
Can cause headache, mental confusion, depression, liver effects, kidney effects, bronchitis, loss of
appetite, nausea, lack of balance, and visual disturbances. Can cause dermatitis upon prolonged skin
contact.
Mutagenic Effects
Methylene chloride may cause cancer in humans.
Developmental Toxicity
The substance is toxic to lungs, the nervous system, liver, mucous membrane
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http://www.ansellpro.com/download/Ansell_8thEditionChemicalResistanceGuide.pdf
OR
http://www.allsafetyproducts.com/glove-selection-chart-chemical-breakthrough-ratings.html
OR
http://www.showabestglove.com/site/default.aspx
OR
http://www.mapaglove.com/
Eye Protection
ANSI approved safety glasses.
Skin and Body Protection
Lab coats should be worn. These laboratory coats must be appropriately sized for the individual and be
buttoned to their full length. Laboratory coat sleeves must be of a sufficient length to prevent skin
exposure while wearing gloves. Full length pants and close-toed shoes must be worn at all times by all
individuals that are occupying the laboratory area. The area of skin between the shoe and ankle should
not be exposed.
Hygiene Measures
Avoid contact with skin, eyes and clothing. Wash hands before breaks and immediately after handling the
product. .
Engineering Controls
All operations involving methylene chloride and dilutions should be carried out in a certified
chemical fume hood or a ducted Biosafety cabinet to keep airborne level below recommended
exposure limits
Chemical fume hoods used as containment areas for particularly hazardous chemicals must have
a face velocity of 100 cfm, averaged over the face of the hood and must be certified annually.
Laboratory rooms must be at negative pressure with respect to the corridors and external
environment. The laboratory/room door must be kept closed at all times.
Vacuum lines are to be protected by HEPA (high efficiency particulate air) filters or higher
efficiency scrubbers.
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Keep in a tightly closed container, stored in a cool, dry, ventilated area. Protect against physical
damage. Isolate from any source of heat or ignition.
Store in secondary containment, isolate from other chemical compounds with proper labeling:
REGULATED CARCINOGEN
DCM can be stored in the same cabinet as other regulated carcinogen
Segregate the chemicals from incompatible materials, as described in the UCLA Safety Manual
and Chemical Hygiene Plan.
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pipet tips, eppendorf tubes, and gloves should be discarded as hazardous waste according to UCLA
EH&S waste disposal procedures
General hazardous waste disposal guidelines:
Label Waste
Affix an on-line hazardous waste tag on all waste containers using the WASTe Online Tag
Program https://ehs.ucop.edu/waste as soon as the first drop of waste is added to the container
Store Waste
Store hazardous waste in closed containers, in secondary containment and in a designated
location
Double-bag dry waste using transparent bags
https://www.ehs.ucla.edu/hazwaste/management/containers
Waste must be under the control of the person generating & disposing of it
Dispose of Waste
Dispose of regularly generated chemical waste within 90 days
Call EH&S at x61887 for questions
Empty Containers
o Dispose as hazardous waste if it once held extremely hazardous waste (irrespective of
the container size) https://www.ehs.ucla.edu/hazwaste/types/extremely-hazardous
o Consult waste pick-up schedule
https://www.ehs.ucla.edu/hazwaste/management/pick-ups
Prepare for transport to pick-up location
Check on-line waste tag
Write date of pick-up on the waste tag
Use secondary containment
Protocol/Procedure
Quantities covered by this SOP:
0 20 mL
Conditions covered by this SOP:
4 C 25 C
Using methylene chloride for acrylic repair:
1. Carry to a fume hood a metal tray, a metal tube rack, and a 15ml conical tube (Nalgene/Nunc
EZFlip tubes work nicely). Carry to the fume hood the methylene chloride bottle.
2. Arrange the tube in the rack on the tray so that no spill will fall onto the fume hood, where it would
dissolve off the paint. Hold the bottle from above so that no drip can wet your nitrile glove (hold
the bottle from the right side with your right hand to pour left into a tube that leans right). Pour a
minimal volume of dichloromethane into the tube.
3. When there are no more drips on the exterior of the tube, close the cap. If you get a drip on your
glove, immediately take off the glove! Take everything back out of the fume hood, and return the
methylene chloride to its storage spot in its secondary container.
4. At the lab bench, open the EZFlip tube barely long enough to remove some dichloromethane with
a positive-displacement pipet. A typical volume for an acrylic repair is less than 25 microliters. Do
not use air-displacement pipets for methylene chloride. Dispense slowly enough to penetrate the
crack or the joint without spreading across the acrylic surface.
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NOTE
Any deviation from this SOP requires approval from PI.
Prior to conducting any work with dichloromethane, designated personnel must provide training to
his/her laboratory personnel specific to the hazards involved in working with this substance, work
area decontamination, and emergency procedures.
The Principal Investigator must provide his/her laboratory personnel with a copy of this SOP and a
copy of the SDS provided by the manufacturer.
The Principal Investigator must ensure that his/her laboratory personnel have attended appropriate
laboratory safety training or refresher training within the last one year.
Name
Signature
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Date
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