[RaInBowDaSh1488]

Hello all,

I am working in a ochem lab over the summer as a grad student. I've interned in very similar labs as an undergrad as well. The only difference besides the level of the chemistry I am doing, is the hours I spend in the lab (7-8 hours, 6-7 days a week).

The unfortunate thing is, I am quite sensitive to acetone. I figured this out early on as an undergrad and now it is coming back to haunt me. I am sort of the "new guy" so I am trying to make a good impression working my ass off, helping others clean, running multiple reactions, etc.

A lot of the cleaning involves copious amounts of acetone and it is causing me some problems. Since I've started, I have had a sort of chronic sinus infection that antibiotics won't help, along with small but frequent nose bleed and nasal pain.

I am at my wits end. I love what I am doing and the people I work with, but I feel I am getting steadily more ill to the point where I am developing a low grade fever. I've been self treating the symptoms, but I am worried one day I will get a gushing nosebleed in the lab and have some trouble. Additionally, feeling mildly to moderately sick every day has taken a toll on the quality of my work and my interest in it.

I freaking LOVE ochem and the lab I am in now. Too add to the dilemma, another member of our group is a good friend of mine, she basically got me into this position based on her recommending me. I'm just guessing but I think their might be something between us that might develop as we work together more.

Sorry for the TL:DR, thanks to anyone willing to read this far. I know this forum has a lot of guys with vast amounts of hands on experience, so I'd appreciate any recommendations as to how I might be better able to cope with current environment I am working in (in terms of acetone exposure).

Any feedback would be VERY MUCH appreciated. I may try a saline was later but that's about the end of the line as far as my ideas as to how to improve this situation.

Thanks again for reading this long post, any feedback would be much appreciated.

[Borek]

I can sympathize. Three semesters of the orgo lab I took back in eighties were a nightmare - I was reacting the way you describe to some of the solvents used. Basically I had 6 hours lab Monday morning and another 6 hours Tuesday afternoon - and my week was like I was more or less OK Sunday afternoon, I got headache on Mondays, runny nose on Tuesday, I was sick on Wednesday and then I was getting better and better till Sunday afternoon.

I am haunted with some mucous membranes problems up to now, although I am not 100% sure if I am right connecting these things.

Luckily for me that was the only time I had to work with non-aqueous solvents.

This is probably a family thing, I know my aunt had similar problems during the time she studied pharmacology.

The only advice I can think of is to try to switch to some other branch of chemistry. And I am perfectly aware why it is kind of a non-advice

[Arkcon]

The compound benzophenone is a known allergy sensitizer.  I knew a lady who worked with it for a bit and once she was sensitized, couldn't work with it anymore.  She became so sensitive she would break out iin hives if she walked past the open door of a lab when it was in use.  She eventually switched to doing paperwork.  I knew another lady who was sensitive to many metals.  She worked with them as long as she could, but eventually she also had to switch positions.  On a positive note, I don't think acetone absolutely has to be the final rinse for organic glassware.  Many companies are finding that dedicated glassware, and good automatic dishwashers with hot air drying saves money in the long run given the costs of purchase and release of solvents

[RaInBowDaSh1488]

Interesting, I am actually working with a reagent that very similar to benzophenone. I will be researching into this issue further, thanks for the info!

On another note, for a quick fix, I was considering applying a bit of Vaseline to my nostrils throughout the day, just to see if it might help a bit. Can anyone think of any reasons that this might be a particularly bad idea??

[Dan]

I had a colleague with a sensitive nose who always did her washing up in a fume hood to minimise acetone vapour exposure - maybe you should try that, it might at least indicate whether the problem is acetone or something else.

On the benzophenone note, I had another colleague who developed serious sensitivity to diphenyldiazomethane with reactions similar to those Arkcon describes - rashes and swelling (but no nasal/sinus problems). There were several of us working with it at the time (nobody else had any reaction to it), and she ended up having to move to another lab down the corridor for the last year of her PhD.

If you are having sinus infections, you should see a doctor rather than attempting to treat the symptoms yourself. You may be taking the wrong antibiotic, for example, or the infection may not even be bacterial. The acetone vapours may be exacerbating symptoms of an underlying problem and may not be the actual cause.

Your motivation to succeed and impress on your placement is highly commendable, but you must think carefully about the implications for your health. If you can't manage your adverse reactions by washing in a fume hood etc., then you need to seriously consider whether your health is an acceptable price to pay.