<p>Throughout our project, the main element that required higher levels of precaution was the handling of PFAS chemicals(specifically PFOA) during testing. These chemicals are labeled as toxic and corrosive therefore stricter attention was paid when dealing with these substances. This includes working under a fume hood for the duration of the experiments and wearing CE-approved, nitrile rubber, gloves with a thickness of at least 0.11mm. Using Safety Data Sheets for PFOA, our team reviewed the standards for safety and implemented the recommendations based on the toxcicity found in our research. Various methods of interaction are labeled differently by OSHA with both oral consumption and inhalation being classified in category 4, the most hazardous level. For the clean up procedure while handling these chemicals, the team neutralized any leftover chemicals using Bicarbonate in order to prevent extensive exothermic reactions from taking place. Although Calcium gluconate is the generally accepted method for dealing with the Hydrofluoric acid byproduct, Bicarbonate was deemed the optimal option due to the small scale of the experiment and the compounds available in this biology lab. As a consequence of the short shelf life of Calcium gluconate, that compound was not available for this experiment, however, the proper precautions were taken using Bicarbonate and discussion with the Lab Safety Officer guaranteed a secure environment.</p>
