By
Maya Schechter
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Police, Fire Department called to clean leak in Marvel Building
UA Chemistry Laboratory Manager Seth Ruskin woke up at 5:30 a. m. yesterday to a phone call from TPD informing him of a waste spill in the Marvel Building.
Although no damage was caused and no one was hurt by the spill of liquid nickel organic complexes in dichloromethane, Tucson police and fire departments were on the scene for nearly two hours cleaning up the spill.
When Ruskin arrived at the building, 1213 E. South Campus Drive, about 20 minutes after the phone call, he and firefighters, clad in self-contained breathing apparatuses, transferred the contents of the leaky container into a clean one.
The colorless liquid, Ruskin said, is commonly used in research and cleaning products. It may also cause harm to humans who come in contact with the substance, he added.
"It may cause fatigue, irritation to the eyes and skin and sleepiness," Ruskin said.
About 30-50 milliliters - roughly the volume of a shot glass - of the chemical leaked through a hole in the waste container it was in, which was to be picked up by UA Risk Management and Safety later yesterday morning.
"I have never heard of this kind of spill happening," Ruskin said. "The container probably decomposed."
Steve Holland, risk management director, called Ruskin after a custodian arrived at the Marvel building, found the spill and called the police, who immediately paged Holland.
Ruskin said the spill probably began sometime after the last person left the building at 11 p.m. Monday, and he added that he was glad the custodian found it when he did.
Three fire trucks parked along East South Campus Drive blocked off the street but did not interrupt the pedestrian traffic flow, Ruskin said.
Uncontrollable accidents have happened before, Ruskin said, but they are usually caused by broken water pipes or by mixing the wrong chemicals.
"Spills do happen, but people are always there to clean it up on the spot - they usually don't spontaneously happen," he added.
The spill was cleaned up by 7:30 a.m., and the street was re-opened.
"This was an excellent response by the fire department and the UA," Ruskin said.
