Safety Considerations
Sea Urchins
With 700 sea urchins world wide it would be impossible to list all the hazards. Primarily, you should assume that poking a spine into skin (or eye, etc. – ouch!) may prove to be a problem in two ways:
- The spine itself in most species is slightly to moderately poisonous.
- A secondary infection almost always sets in, especially if the spine is not completely removed. Use a dissecting scope and fine forceps to remove the spine, if necessary. They can work their way in pretty deep. See a doctor if necessary. Coat infected area with 70% alcohol or other disinfectant to prevent infection.
Learn about your particular sea urchin! See a doctor if needed!
Chemicals
Here is a list of all the chemicals mentioned on this site with safety information, if known.
| Acetic Acid | CAS# 6344 | corrosive, slight poison, suspect cancer, combustible, acid, mucus membranes, skin poison |
| Ammonium Chloride | CAS# 5277 | slight poison, skin irritant, lung irritant, eye irritant |
| Ampicillin | CAS# 4879 | suspect cancer |
| Calcium Chloride | CAS# 489 | slight poison, suspect cancer, skin irritant, lung irritant, eye irritant, skin poison |
| Calcium Nitrate | CAS# 550 | oxidizer, slight poison, eye irritant, blood toxin, skin irritant, lung irritant |
| Chloramphenicol | CAS# 2351 | slight poison, suspect cancer, halogen comp., blood toxin, reg-ab2588 ai, reg-prop 65 cancer |
| Chlorox | CAS# 7681-52-9 | oxidizers, corrosives, suspect carcinogen, mutagen, or reproductive hazard, base, mucous membrane damage by oxidizers and corrosives, extremely hazardous waste |
| Choline Chloride | CAS# 6693 | slight poison, skin irritant, lung irritant, eye irritant |
| EGTA | CAS# 2756 | slight poison |
| Ethanol | CAS# 5578 | flammable, slight poison, suspect cancer, skin irritant, liver toxin, kidney toxin, lung irritant, eye irritant, reg-ab1803 wells, reg-prop 66 reproductive hazard |
| Glucose | CAS# 5073 | Non-Hazardous |
| Glycine | CAS# 2339 | Non-Hazardous |
| Glycerol | CAS# 5486 | Eye Irritant |
| Magnesium Chloride | CAS# 4946 | slight poison, suspect cancer, skin irritant, lung irritant, eye irritant |
| Magnesium Nitrate | CAS# 6155 | oxidizer, skin irritant, lung irritant, eye irritant, mucus membranes |
| Magnesium Sulfate (Epsom salt) |
CAS# 488 | suspect cancer |
| Motor Oil | Suspect carcinogen, mutagen, or reproductive hazard, SARA section 313 toxic chemicals, Prop. 65 Carcinogen | |
| Potassium bicarbonate | CAS# 5377 | slight poison, skin irritant, lung irritant, eye irritant |
| Potassium Chloride | CAS# 6340 | lung irritant, suspect cancer, slight poison, skin irritant, eye irritant |
| Potassium Gluconate | CAS# 1758 | Non-Hazardous |
| Potassium Nitrate | CAS# 4597 | oxidizer, slight poison, suspect cancer, blood toxin, mucus membranes |
| Rhodamine B | CAS# 5043 | moderate poison, suspect cancer, skin irritant, kidney toxin, eye irritant, reg-sara 313, reg-prop 65 cancer |
| Salad Oil | ||
| Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda) |
CAS# 4605 | slight poison, suspect cancer, skin irritant, eye irritant |
| Sodium Chloride (table salt) |
CAS# 6306 | slight poison, suspect cancer, skin irritant, lung irritant, eye irritant |
| Sodium nitrate | CAS# 3035 | oxidizer, slight poison, suspect cancer, mucus membranes |
| Sulfamethoxazole | Irritant to eyes, respiratory system and skin | |
| Toluene | CAS# 5299 | flammable, slight poison, suspect cancer, skin irritant, liver toxin, kidney toxin, nerve toxin, lung irritant, eye irritant, skin poison, reg-epa, reg-ab1803 wells, reg-sara 313, reg-ab2588 ai, reg-dhs drinking |
| Trimethoprim | Reproductive hazard, toxic by inhalation contact with skin, allergic reaction, mutagen, target organ - bone marrow | |
| Triton X-100 | CAS# 7032 | skin irritant, lung irritant, eye irritant |
| Xylene | CAS# 1197 | flammable, slight poison, suspect cancer, skin irritant, liver toxin, kidney toxin, blood toxin, lung irritant, eye irritant, skin poison, reg-ab1803 wells, reg-sara 313, reg-mcl list, reg-ab2588 aii |
Warning: Only teachers should handle the syringe with the potassium chloride. Potassium chloride itself is not particularly hazardous, being the main ingredient in substitute salt formulations, but injection into a vein or artery can cause an electrical imbalance in the heart or in the brain resulting in death.
Electricity & Seawater are a bad combination, and can be lethal!
- Always clean up all seawater spills.
- Do not use seawater around electical equipment.
- Be especially careful around microscopes.
- Seawater is also corrosive to most metals and can destroy equipment very quickly.