Chemical safety is a primary concern of every scientist in a laboratory setting. Recognizing the need to provide more safety information in ACS Reagent Chemicals sparked a partnership between the American Chemical Society’s Committee on Analytical Reagents (CAR) and Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS).
CAR is the only committee in the world dedicated to establishing specifications and developing validated test methods for determining the purity of analytical reagents. From the first printing of ACS Reagent Chemicals in 1950 to today’s dynamic online edition, the goal of the committee has been to set the standard for chemical integrity, quality, and purity worldwide.
CCS was established in 1963 and has since created and maintained numerous guiding safety documents that are in wide use throughout the chemistry enterprise. In 2016, ACS CEO Tom Connelly detailed its role in chemical safety. Since that time, the society has integrated safety into its core values, created the ACS Office of Safety Programs to align messaging and content, and added a requirement for safety statements in articles published in ACS journals.
The two committees had been in contact regarding a potential collaborative project, but it was the power of a face-to-face meeting during the ACS Spring 2024 meeting in New Orleans that truly sparked the idea. Working together to integrate more safety information into ACS Reagent Chemicals would satisfy specific goals from both committees’ strategic plans while also promoting a culture of safety for those who use reagent chemicals.
A joint task force was formed of members from both committees. The group worked tirelessly to gather the safety information that needed to be integrated into each monograph for ACS Reagent Chemicals.
The project proceeded so well that, midway through, the scope was expanded to include a hyperlink to each reagent referenced in the monograph’s Test section that takes the reader to the respective monograph for the newly hyperlinked reagents. The project was completed in December 2025 with the new features added to all 434 of the monographs.
Each Safety section provides information unique to that specific monograph. It includes the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals signal word for the reagent as well as any applicable pictograms. Additionally, a link to the Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary on PubChem and a link to compound stability and reactivity information on the CAMEO (computer-aided management of emergency operations) Chemicals database are provided where available. Users are recommended to contact the manufacturer to obtain the relevant safety data sheet if needed.
The hyperlinks in the Tests section of the monographs allow one-click access to the monographs for all the other reagent chemicals that are referenced in the section. This makes it highly convenient for those performing these tests to access safety information and other details for all the chemicals used in the testing procedures.
These pictograms and links aid scientists in quickly finding the safety information they need to follow the methods and specifications in ACS Reagent Chemicals. One end user, Adrienne Daugherty, ISO (International Organization for Standardization) manager at Barium & Chemicals, says: “This information is very useful. I think the pictograms are perfect since they already include the description, which is great for someone who might not be familiar with them.” Another end user, Samantha Moos, technical project manager and senior scientist at Eurofins SF Analytical Laboratories, says: “This would be useful information, especially to younger chemists without as much experience dealing with all of the chemicals seen in a larger laboratory setting.”
An example for the monograph Acetone, which includes the new safety section, can be viewed in this excerpt from ACS Reagent Chemicals.
The two ACS committees look forward to continuing their partnership in advancing the communication of laboratory safety information. Their next project, starting in fall this year, is to launch an ongoing periodic review process for all existing safety information in ACS Reagent Chemicals to ensure that the information remains accurate going forward.
The unique expertise brought together by this joint-committee project enabled both committees to further the ACS commitment to laboratory safety as well as provide valued information to the users of ACS Reagent Chemicals.
Views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of C&EN or ACS.
