THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING

The Disappearing Bottles

Author(s): Adapted from a scenario by Steven Senturia

As a new graduate student you have just joined Professor Halle's research group. Colby is a senior grad student in Halle's group. The group has just moved into a new lab, which unfortunately contains leftover chemicals from a previous lab occupant. You overhear Halle tell Colby in a very loud voice to "Get that hood cleaned out, and do it NOW." Over the next few days, you notice progress in the lab cleanup, but are curious that you never see the actual waste--just a net decrease in the number of bottles in the hood. One evening, you return late to the lab and encounter Colby leaving the lab with a cardboard box containing some bottles. You greet each other in passing, but there is no mention of the box or its contents. You recall hearing that there are some strict rules on chemical disposal, but as a new student you have not yet had any formal orientation. You wonder if Colby is sneaking the chemicals out of the lab and disposing of them improperly. You would have asked Colby if you were friends, but you don't know how to raise the question without seeming to make an accusation.

What can/should you do next?

Do you know what the penalties are for improper disposal of chemicals? If not, how would you find out?

Is there a safety office for your laboratory? For your department? What about a safety office or industrial hygiene office at your university?

• Return to Research Ethics Module Supporting Pages

• Building on a Premature Claim: A Cautionary Tale

• Look, I've Changed

National Academy of Engineering

500 Fifth Street, NWWashington, DC 20001T. 202.334.3200F. 202.334.2290