Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N31/00—Investigating or analysing non-biological materials by the use of the chemical methods specified in the subgroup; Apparatus specially adapted for such methods
  • G01N31/22—Investigating or analysing non-biological materials by the use of the chemical methods specified in the subgroup; Apparatus specially adapted for such methods using chemical indicators
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G01—MEASURING; TESTING
  • G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
  • G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light

Definitions

• This invention is concerned with the identification of the hazardous nature of unidentified materials, usually solids, or liquids or mixtures thereof.
• Typical examples of areas of use of the invention are spillages of materials from road vehicles e.g. tankers, checking water supplies, trade effluent and waste tips, unknown materials in stores, warehouses etc.
• test kit for use by unskilled laboratory technicians to identify the hazardous nature of an unknown material is disclosed in British patent specification 1 388 221, which provides a kit for a layman to identify a narcotic or psychotropic substance e.g. hashish, cocaine, opium, heroin etc.
• kit the material is reacted with a test strip impregnated with a reagent solution and the substance identified according to the presence and degree of a colour change.
• the HAZCHEM code of a composite label would have solved the problem. However this is not the case since, in Great Britain at least, the code is only compulsory for certain vehicles and in many countries no code is available at all.
• the invention is based on the realisation that very often the first person required to handle an. unknown material lacks the appropriate skills to identify the material and its hazards and there is a need to provide him with some means of identifying the hazards so that he can treat the material appropriately. For example, when a fireman first meets an unknown spilt liquid he needs to know whether he can wash it into the drains without health risks to the population irrespective of whether the liquid contains lead, nickel, copper, arsenic, antimony, bismuth or chromate. He also needs this information quickly, and cannot delay until a sample is analysed by a skilled technician in a laboratory.
• means for identifying the presence of an environmental hazard in an unknown material and suitable for use by operatives not skilled in chemistry e.g. firemen, policemen, is characterised by a plurality of agents each adapted to interact with a material having a particular hazard to give an indication of the presence or absence of that hazard.
• the agents are adapted to give a visual indication of the presence of the hazard, especially in the form of a pronounced colour change.
• the agents are preferably adapted to indicate the following hazards a) whether the material is corrosive b) whether the material will react with water in a hazardous way c) whether the material is flammable or explosive d) whether the material is poisonous
• Agents for determining these hazards are preferably as follows:
• the reaction with water can be tested using a sample of the unknown material with water in a vial supplied with the kit.
• Liquids which are immiscible in water and float upon water may be regarded as likely to be flammable while liquids which are immiscible and sink beneath the water are likely to be organic poisons.
• flammability can be tested by contacting a small portion with a direct flame, preferably from a low pressure gas lighter e.g. as supplied with the kit. It is much preferred that the lighter be one which can be operated by a button since this can be done easily even when the operator, as recommended, is wearing gloves.
• a liquid some of the liquid may be applied to a glass fibre strip which is exposed to the flame, and the behaviour on burning will indicate a fire hazard.
• an especially modified test tube having adjacent the lower end a hole in its wall to act as a vent for explosive forces.
• a suitable agent comprises a filter paper impregnated with e.g. starch and iodide and which when wet and in the presence of an oxidising agent goes blue, violet or purple.
• Test paper "H” comprising a glass fibre filter paper impregnated with a copper sulphate solution will, when wetted by halocarbons and/or nitrogen containing organics such as aryl amines and nitriles, give a low pressure gas flame a distinctive purple colour indicative of an organic poison vapour.
• Test paper "M” comprising a glassfibre filter paper impregnated with sodium acetate or the like in aqueous solution and a colour strip of p-dimethyleminobenzylidene-rhodanine deposited from solution in acetone will when exposed to aqueous solution containing mercury give a pink to violet colour and the same is sometimes true of silver, gold and platinum compounds. Given the information about the identity of the hazard then appropriate measures can be recommended.
• the means is provided in the form of a portable kit containing some apparatus by which the operator can take a small sample of the unknown material. In this way the unskilled operator can take a small sample and then withdraw from the possibly hazardous area to perform the tests with less risk of danger.
• the apparatus preferably is made of a relatively inert material such as polypropylene and is preferably a beaker of the type having a triangular rim by which samples can be scooped up.
• test tubes which require some skill and a frame in which to stand
• use is made of glass flat bottomed vials having a snap fit plastic lid. These may also serve to store samples of materials for later identification.
• the kit may include appropriate instruments and reagents to identify these particular hazards.
• the kit preferably also includes protective covers in the form of gloves, goggles and the like; and sets of instructions, incorporating suitable warning, to protect the operator from the hazards he is seeking to identify.
• the invention includes the means as defined, a kit containing such means and a method of testing, as new items of industrial use, Test papers "E", “H” and “M” and a test tube modified as defined.
• An embodiment of the invention is illustrated by the following specific embodiment comprising a set of-instructions supplied with a kit containing the reagents and for use specifically by firemen.
• Fibrous appearance May be asbestos or other harmful silicate
• test strip Moisten one end of test strip - not too wet.
• a colour change will develop in about one minute.
• Test liquid in module 2 Dissolves (even part) Test liquid in module 2 (see note
• Floats partially mixes (may Flammable: (can be diluted with go milky) water)
• this technique can be used. It may also be useful if a liquid (either unknown or from test 1.2) is too cloudy for colour changes to be seen: in this case discard the solid and do tests on the separated liquid.
• test strip S Place a drop of water on end of test strip S. Touch wetted end to solid or liquid. If no positive reaction, then
• ORGANIC LIQUIDS Dip end of strip with cream pad into liquid for one second. If no colour change, wet the pad with one drop of water and wait a further 30 seconds.
• Test 2.1 'violet, orange, white' if subsequent tests do not give 'contain' then reasonable quantities may be diluted and run to drains. (Notify water authorities.)
• Test 2.3 'mixes' nay be diluted if other tests do not give 'contain'.

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• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
• Biochemistry (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Immunology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Investigating Or Analyzing Non-Biological Materials By The Use Of Chemical Means (AREA)

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• 1978
  • 1978-08-31 WO PCT/GB1978/000012 patent/WO1979000122A1/en unknown
• 1979
  • 1979-03-27 EP EP19780900100 patent/EP0007348A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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