Why Should Chemicals Not Be Released in Drain? Warnings and Dangers!

Doing chemical experiments should be fun because we can learn how the chemicals react with other components and see how it goes. It also sometimes give us the best experiences when we found something new and being proud of it.

many scientist and students who do their experiments in the laboratory or even engineers in industries do not consider chemical wastes of doing chemical experiments. But do you know why should chemicals not be released in a drain? Chemicals are the ingredients that make up a substance. These chemicals can be classified according to their nature, namely:

  • It’s easy to burn
  • Easy to explode
  • Corrosive (material that causes erosion)
  • And Toxic

Properties of chemicals can be identified from the packaging, namely as follows:

a. Made from the paper: solid substances that contain chemicals but not dangerous. Bottles or cans: liquid substances that contain harmful chemicals.

b. Cans or bottles that are not transparent: the chemicals are easily damaged due to the influence of direct sunlight or light.

c. Bottles are narrow and tightly closed: volatile substances.

In everyday life, we know various cleaning chemicals, including soaps and detergents. Soaps and detergents can make the fat and oil that was not able to mix with water easily mix. Soaps and detergents in water can release a type of ion that can unite with water (hydrophilic) so that soap and detergent can dissolve in water and parts that cannot unite with water (hydrophobic) will dissolve in oil or fat. That’s why, chemical must not be released in drain. You may also read about Chemicals Combination We Should Never Mix

The following are various types of cleaning chemicals as follows:

1. Detergent

The basic ingredients for detergent production are Alkyl Benzene Sulfonate (ABS). Detergent washing power is far more powerful than soap. In fact, the detergent can work on hard water, you know the disadvantage of detergent compared to soap is that detergent is difficult to describe by microorganisms so that it can pollute the surrounding environment. You may also read about Examples of Inorganic Chemistry in Everyday Life

2. Soap

Soap is a basic salt that can be obtained from various fatty acids. The soap is used to cleanse dirt on clothing and skin that is difficult to clean using water. The saponification reaction is called saponification. Soap made from sodium hydroxide is called hard soap, while soap made from potassium hydroxide is called soft soap. It is danger if it is released in drain. You may also read about Harmful Chemicals in Antibacterial Soap

In modern soap making, in addition to using one of the bases of NaOH or KOH, other ingredients are added, such as creams, perfumes, vitamins, dyes, and antiseptics. The cream functions to smooth the skin, if the perfume gives a fragrant aroma to soap, while the vitamin serves to rejuvenate the skin, coloring to increase attractiveness, and the antiseptic is useful to kill germs.

3. Toothpaste

Toothpaste is a cleanser whose function is to clean the teeth of all types of dirt. The toothpaste is made from calcium carbonate which is mashed and mixed with glycerin. Often the toothpaste is added with coloring agents, sweetness, fresh breath, fluoride, and calcium.You may also read about Uses of Triclosan in Toothpaste

4. Shampoo

The shampoo is made from sodium hydroxide (NaOH) base. The shampoo is also often added to other substances, such as Vitamin E, conditioner, ginseng extract, celery, and substances whose function is to prevent and treat dandruff. You may also read about List of Chemicals in Shampoo

5. Fragrances

Deodorizers are chemicals that are usually found in perfumes, air fresheners, floor deodorizers, clothes deodorizers, and toilet deodorizers. The fragrant aroma of perfume ingredients can be obtained from natural ingredients, such as:

  • Phenyl alcohol, found in roses
  • Citrate, fruit jerry
  •  Ambergris from extracts of whale intestines
  • Gray amber from shark sperm
  • Castorium of female deer foot glands in North America and Siberia
  • C / Vet from the Ethiopian civet gland

Fragrance ingredients generally consist of three forms, namely:

  • Solid deodorizer, for example like powder.
  • Liquid deodorizer, for example, deodorant.
  • Liquid aerosol deodorizers, for example, rich in perfume. Deodorizers in the form of liquid aerosols use propellant chemicals to produce aerosols, namely chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). You may also read about What Compounds Are in Perfume? (Flavor and Fragrance).

6. Bleach

Bleach is usually used to remove dirt or colored stains that are difficult to remove on clothing/textile materials. Bleach solutions sold usually contain sodium hypochlorite (NaOCI) about 5%. this is also danger if it is released in drain. That’s why should chemicals not be released in drain.

7. Fertilizer

Artificial fertilizers commonly used are nitrogen fertilizer, phosphorus fertilizer, and sodium fertilizer. Excessive fertilizer can cause soil pollution. 

Side Effects of Using Materials for the Environment and Humans

Some chemicals allegedly are triggers of cancer and allergies. The use of teeth whitening can cause the gums to experience irritation, even dental cancer due to the mercury content in them. Error using soap/detergent can cause irritation to the skin.

Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) or carbon dioxide (CO 2) compounds in liquid aerosols or spray chemicals cause the main causes of ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect. Plastic waste and styrofoam cannot be broken down by microorganisms which cause environmental pollution. Liquid waste from washing activities causes eutrophication (waters become fertile). This causes abundant Algae and will become organic waste so that the waters lack oxygen.

8. Insect repellent

There are three types of insecticides, namely:

a. Digestive poison

Digestive toxins are chemicals that if eaten by insects will damage the digestive tract so that the insects will die. For example:

  •  DDT = dichloro diphenyl trichloroethane
  • BHC = benzene hexachloride

b. Poison outside the body

Toxins outside the body are chemicals that will kill insects in the event of direct contact between chemicals and insects. For example like:

  • DDT
  • Dieldrin
  • BHC
  • Aldrin

c.  Respiratory toxin

Respiratory toxins are chemicals that if inhaled or inhaled by insects will damage the respiratory tract, causing the insect to die. For example like:

  • BHC
  • Cyanide acid
  • Carbon disulfide

Why should chemicals not be released in drain? we must be wise in the use and disposal of chemical waste in order to prevent environmental damage that will affect ourselves. Be wise!