Chemicals on Campus
Thousands of new chemicals go on the market each year. As a society we must balance the health benefits and conveniences that chemicals can provide with the potential risks to human health and the environment. We must make careful decisions about if and when and where and how to use the available products.
On campus, the situation mirrors the problems of the larger society. Major chemical usages on campus are diverse:
- Cleaning and graffiti removal products
- Anti-scale, anti-corrosion chemicals for water treatment
- Biocides in cooling tower water
- Chemistry and Biology laboratory materials
- Chlorine for the Swimming Pool at the Tripp Center
- Art materials for painting, sculpture, graphic arts, and jewelry making
- Pesticides
- Fertilizers
- Weed killers
- Paints
- Construction materials
We have taken a two-pronged approach to dealing with these sometimes complex issues: we seek to reduce the use of chemicals and, where chemical reduction cannot be effective, we seek to reduce the exposure of campus community members to potentially toxic materials.
Reduce Chemical Usage
Where possible, over the last few years we have eliminated or significantly reduced the amount of toxic chemicals we use. For instance:
- All of our normal cleaning products are now non-toxic
- We usually are able to specify the use of latex paint in lieu of alkyds
- Our integrated pest management program avoids the use of toxic pesticides and focuses on the use of insect traps and physical cleaning
- We have replaced mechanical plant mercury switches wherever we have found them with new technology non-toxic switches
- Standard hard flooring replacement is now specified to be non-toxic and longer wearing linoleum or rubber in lieu of vinyl composite tiles
- We have started replacing building electrical transformers, which contained PCB coolants, with either dry or non-PCB containing transformers
- We have started replacing the emergency diesel engines located in each building with clean gas-fired turbines
- All materials used for interior finishes are specified to be free from formaldehyde and all volatile organic compounds
- Except for athletic fields, no fertilizers or weed-killers are regularly used
More exciting however is our program for reduction of chemicals in our mechanical plant water-treatment processes and at our swimming pool. Please go to "Ionization Systems" to find out more about this groundbreaking initiative.
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Reduce Chemical Exposure
Where elimination or reduction of chemical usage is not possible, the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth has taken action to safeguard the campus community from undesirable chemical exposures:
- All Facilities Staff are given annual training on protecting themselves from chemical hazards; training includes information on how to spot and correct friable asbestos problems since asbestos was widely used in the construction of campus buildings
- All labs containing hazardous materials have been secured using a proprietary keyway system; keys for this system cannot be duplicated and maximum security is maintained by assigning lab keys only to fully trained personnel
- The Campus Environmental Health and Safety Officer maintains a list of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals used on campus; MSDS give objective information about avoiding exposures and responding to inadvertent exposures; anyone on campus has a right to request a copy of an MSDS on any chemical that we use so that individuals can be fully informed about potential health hazards they might encounter on campus; for MSDS information, call Wayne Leblanc at X8242.
- Very toxic materials, such as our stronger graffiti remover or bleach for treating mold-infested areas, are only authorized for use during unoccupied hours
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Last Updated On: 11/25/05
