GC GCMS and house plants

[tynan]

We recently received a directive from our Occupational Health and Safety officer stating that we had to remove all house plants from the lab in which our GC and GCMS were located. The reason given was 'because of the gcs'. Assuming the plants and/or soil are not in direct contact with the instruments, is there any scientific reason for this?

Thanks.

[Don_Hilton]

If it was from an occupational health and saftey officer, I would expect the reason would be a safety hazard to staff from the presence of the plants. Were they positioned such that spilled water for the plants could splash onto equipment or electrical wires? Or splashes on the floor could cause you to slip and fall on an instrument?

There could be a concern of background in the laboratory if you do analysis for analytes similar to compunds that could come from the plants - terpenes, fragrance related compunds, or pesticides. But I would not expect an occupational health and saftey officer to say anything about that unless you do analytical work for the health and saftey office.

[tynan]

I don't think it's a safety hazard as the plants are on window ledges above a counter and not close to either instrument. All of the sample prep is done in another lab and brought in for analysis in capped vials.

[Don_Hilton]

If you can get more info from our health and safety officer, please post it. This could be interesting.

[tynan]

I have asked for clarification.

[Peter Apps]

The old cynic in me sees an OHS inspector doing the rounds in a well organized place, and finding nothing of significant impact, having to post a finding on the plants just to show that he or she was on the ball.

On the other hand, soil and extraneous organics are not the kind of thing I would want to see in an analytical lab. This is an analytical QC issue rather than H&S though.

Of course you could always point out that the plants are actually lab plants and not house plants, and therefore do not need to ne removed.

Peter

[WK]

Hi tynan,
I am interested too.
I came across this slightly related post today:

http://www.perfumerflavorist.com/fragra ... 46849.html

I wonder if anyone has investigated body odour as a cause of nausea within the "professional work environment"?

WK

[tynan]

I probably won't hear anything more until next week.

[WK]

Hi Tynan,
Any word on the new houseplant directive ?!!
WK

[tynan]

Sorry, I hadn't heard any more for a while so I asked the people involved. Upon asking for clarification as to why the plants had to be removed, it turns out this was not the directive from the OSH but from the lab supervisor. No scientific reason was given so it appears to be simply a personal preference of the supervisor.

The plants remain.