Your school may contain mercury and other hazardous materials that have been used in the past or may still be used for teaching and other purposes. Hazardous materials can be found in many areas, including science labs, art rooms, maintenance areas, nurse's offices and consumer science rooms. They may be dangerous because of their toxic, flammable or reactive properties. If these materials are being handled, stored or disposed of improperly, they can pose a risk to students, staff and the environment.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, the following substances are listed as the "Dirty Dozen":

• Barium chloride
• Benzene
• Carbon disulfide
• Carbon tetrachloride
• Cyanide compounds
• Formaldehyde
• Hydrofluoric acid
• Mercury
• Picric acid
• Potassium metal
• Sodium metal
• Thermit

The US Environmental Protection Agency provides information to assist schools to develop a program.  By using their tools provided at epa.gov/sc3 and pulling together a team with a variety of perspectives, expertise and resources, a successful chemical management program can be developed.  Schools, parents, and local organizations can partner to create a chemical management program that meets the unique needs of their school.

To assist schools with identifying problem chemicals, the Illinois School Board of Education developed a "Guidebook to Science Safety" at isbe.net.