Chemical Reagent and Residue Managment at The Teaching Laboratories of The Organic Chemistry Department in The Chemistry School, Universidad Nacional

Abstract

Green chemistry consists in using environmental- friendly chemical substances looking for a reduction of residues and safety in the different activities from which chemical residues are originated. With green chemistry we are looking for sustainability with products and processes aim at an equilibrium environmentally livable, socially viable economically profitable, energetically desirable and ethically acceptable (Doria and Miranda, 2013). With the purpose of make use of green chemistry al the teaching labs of the School of Chemistry (UNA) the project “Chemical reagent and residue management at the teaching laboratories of the organic chemistry department in the Chemistry School, Universidad Nacional” is proposed, being this Department one of the more complex due to the diversity of courses offered and the chemical substances used during the different lab activities and the residues they generate.

The project was carried out in four phases. The first one was an assessment to identify the problems in the operation of the department ´s courses. The second one tried to develop actions and their implantation to solve the problems found. The third and fourth phases established coordination mechanisms with the different persons involved in the process. Finally evaluation and control of achievements were considered. This paper shows the main results of the project.