[dpayette]

I will be working with methylene chloride for extended amounts of time in a studio with other students working with this chemical. I would like to learn more about what type of protection is recomended

[Mitch]

It depends what you're doing with it? The most important thing is to make sure the room is well ventillated, add some fans and open all the windows.. Make sure people wear safety goggles and even latex gloves, although methylene chloride will go through the glove.

[movies]

Yes, as Mitch said the biggest concerns are inhalation and eye/skin exposure.  Be especially careful on hot days, since methylene chloride boils at 40 degrees Celsius and the vapor is harmful.

Additionally, never, ever put methylene chloride down the drain.  It should be disposed of through chemical disposal services.

[hmx9123]

The environmental hazards have little to do with acute or chronic toxicity.  Here's the skinny, which you can find from the Merck Index, the MSDS, and various other sources:

methylene chloride (dichloro methane) is a carcinogen.  Long term exposure to the vapors or skin contact with the liquid form will cause cancer.

It causes birth defects.  If you are pregnant, don't breathe it, don't let it touch your skin--it will absorb through.

It can cause effects somewhat like chloroform and ether.  Be careful to use it only in a fume hood.  If you're in a room with other art majors using it, OSHA should shut you down.  It is not like acetone, which is pretty safe.  This is a reasonably dangerous chemical, at least for large exposure like that, and I'm sure that the art studio, if this stuff is not worked with in a fume hood, will be well above both the PEL and the TLV for the solvent. (TLV=threshold limit value; the amount workers can be safely exposed to every day.  PEL=permissible exposure limit; the amount one can be acutely exposed to at one time).

[eugenedakin]

Hello dpayette,

Back in the 'old-days', when drums of methylene chloride were filled without protection, workers would have very serious headaches, and would become giddy (spontaneously start laughing, etc), and the next few days would act and feel as if they had very bad hangovers.  

If possible, do not use this chemical.  Try and determine if there are other 'safer' chemicals for this test.

Sincerely,

Eugene Dakin Ph.D., P.Chem.