Re-purposing empty reagent bottles

[LauleaHere&There]

Duraleigh, Chemgeek, can I re-use the plastic bottles from the 8 oz. CYA reagent? What should I use to rinse them out? Mostly I'm thinking of using them in the garage or in the garden, for things like liquid fertilizer, where the dropper-top is handy for measuring small amounts. Also possibly de-natured alcohol for cleaning up little spots. What do you think?

 

[Ohm_Boy]

I'm gonna go ahead and step in here to recommend that you don't re-use the containers. It's just not worth it. I'm not sure how much the chems can imbed into the plastics. Even the CYA test contains melamine, which causes kidney failure in small animals. You could probably get a dozen of those bottles for 15 bucks at a lab supply.

 

[JMarch]

plastic unused bottles are available at walmart for cheap- don't risk it. It's like eating easter eggs- if in doubt, they're too cheap- don't do it.

 

[chem geek]

The Lethal Concentration where 50% are killed (LC₅₀) for melamine is 6000 mg/kg while for melamine cyanurate it's 4100 mg/kg. Even if these compounds adsorbed somewhat into the plastic, if you thoroughly rinse the bottles multiple times the quantity that could be leeched would be very small and way, way, way, way below even the 63 mg/kg/day No Observed Adverse Effect Level (NOAEL) even adding a factor of 100 Margin Of Exposure (MOE) to get to 0.63 mg/kg/day. This amount is less than 1 ml of pure substance which is very doubtful to get absorbed let alone released all at once from the plastic.

Of course, using a new container would eliminate the possibility of that small risk.

 

[LauleaHere&There]

Thanks. It isn't that I need the bottles, they'd just be handy for a couple of applications. And going to Wal-Mart requires a flight to another island. Maybe Duraleigh could refill 'em. Thanks for the info!