t-butyllithium in heptane

Shipping hazardous materials of any sort poses a massive risk to people.  The people most at risk is the person packaging the material, the person transporting it, and the person opening the package.  However certain materials can put large amounts of people in danger.  In this scenario, we are going to talk about transporting a very hazardous chemical.  The chemical is known as t-butyl-lithium in heptane (heptane is the solvent).  This is classified as a pyrophoric liquid. Pyrophoric chemicals are liquids and solids that have the potential to spontaneously ignite in air at temperatures of 130 degrees Fahrenheit/ 54 degrees Celsius or below. It also has corrosive, water reactive, and peroxide forming properties.  TBL (t-butyl-lithium) will catch fire if exposed to oxygen/air.  If exposed to water, TBL reacts very violently and gives off flammable gases and corrosive dust.  TBL is so reactive with water; even the moisture from your body or skin will cause it to react, if the oxygen in the air has not already caught it on fire.  Inhaling the vapors from TBL is very dangerous. 

Inhalation of vapors may cause dizziness, nausea, anesthesia, numbness, motor weakness in fingers and toes, incoordination, and headaches.  If ingested, TBL may produce a lung aspiration.   As you can see, this chemical is very dangerous in many ways.  When shipping this chemical, it is to be kept free of contact from water, air, and oxidizing materials.  When being handled, personnel should wear a full-face mask and gloves at the very least.  The environment in which TBL is being handled should be a closed system under argon and nitrogen gases.  TBL should be kept away from any sparks and flames.  Storage containers should be protected, and physically inspected for leaks and physical damage.  Shipping TBL should be very carefully carried out.    The package containing TBL should show that it is an organometallic substance, that it is a liquid, that it is pyrophoric, and that it is water reactive.  The package should also be labeled “T-BUTYLLITHIUM, HYDROCARBON SOLUTION, 4.2(4.3), UN 3394, PG I”.  Shipments also require a “Dangerous When Wet” and “Spontaneously Combustible” label(s).  Transport of TBL by post, parcel, and air, are prohibited in the United States.  It is however aloud to be transported by roadway and railway in class 4.2(4.3)(DOT).  All shipments on roadways need to be carried out in a DOT(Department of Transportation) approved vehicle.  It is also aloud to be transported by sea in class 4.2(4.3)(IMDG).   When shipping TBL the container is not to be filled more than 90 percent of its potential capacity.  The extra space in containers is filled with an inert gas like nitrogen.  Glass containers are fitted with a septum so the chemical can be retrieved with a syringe.  Other containers are slightly pressurized and fitted with one-way valves to prevent air contamination.  Containers should be air and watertight.  Containers should also have an extremely robust outer shell to ensure the TBL does not escape.  More than one layer of containment is highly recommended due to the extreme danger TBL poses.   Vehicles carrying the chemical should be clearly marked as hazardous material transporters. 

Sending workers into the California gas leak.

There is an extremely alarming gas leak in California currently.  This issue posses a massive environmental and public health issue.  The leaking well has currently leaked thousands of metric tons of methane into the atmosphere. About five thousand homes have been evacuated and all the people who live in them are currently displaced.  The methane is known to convert into formaldehyde.  This reaction is taking place when the methane is released into the atmosphere, and comes in contact with sunlight. Although methane can cause serious dangers like oxygen displacement, formaldehyde is more dangerous to human health especially in gas form.  Formaldehyde can cause health problems like, asphyxiation, acidosis, nosebleeds, head aces, and more. Also, oppose to rising into the atmosphere, much of this gas is actually sinking into the city, further increasing the danger. The city near the gas leek is in a valley, which is acting like a bowl for this dangerous gas. 

To even further escalade the danger, experts are now saying there is radioactive material being released from the leak.   With all this considered, the environment around this gas leak has the potential to be oxygen deficient, toxic, and radioactive.  Many things would need to be considered if an individual was forced to enter this environment to fix the leek or do other work.  First and foremost, no one should enter the environment alone.  The “buddy system” would be crucial in this type of scenario.  Going in alone would be dangerous because you would have no one to help you or notify others in the event of an emergency.  An individual would most likely need to wear a SAR, or supplied air respirator.  Supplied air respirators are the only real way to combat oxygen deficiency.  SARs are also the ideal way to protect against inhaling alpha particles or other types of radiation.  Alpha particles are the suspected form of radiation at the site.  However, you only have a certain amount of air in your SAR tank. Depending on this size of the tank, you would need to calculate how long a worker could be in this environment.  By estimate, a worker would have no longer than 15 minutes with a typical SAR system.  Although an air tube would also be a possible choice, but may prove too unwieldy. 

 If the environment is in fact radioactive, people working in the environment will need to be wearing full airtight suites that will prevent direct exposure to radioactivity.  If they radiation is in fact known to be alpha radiation only, simply an airtight hazmat suit would be sufficient because the aloha particles will not penetrate it. And than of coarse, they will still need to be fitted with a SAR system inside there suit.  Both methane and formaldehyde are very flammable.  So as a safety professional, you must make sure there is no ignition source present.  A sudden fire could cost many lives.  There may also be many “site specific” hazards that would not become apparent until further planning and observing.  So it is important the individuals going into the environment are very observant of there surroundings.