Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Safety first, safety second, and safety third. After a fire broke out during distillation, researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China determined its primary cause: an unsuspecting condenser. So unsuspecting that only 2.5% of students identified it as a risk factor. Lesson learned: Question every part of your experimental setup!
Make a difference. Make science safer. Join the conversation through the ACS CHAS-J to learn from others, contribute your expertise, and help create a safer future for chemistry and scientific research and practice worldwide.
Reporting in ACS Chemical Health & Safety, “Lesson Learned from a Fire during Distillation: Choose the Appropriate Condenser.”
Read the paper: doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.2c00053
(Corresponding author: Hongyan Feng, Ph.D.)
Video credits:
Written, produced, and hosted by Lizette Miranda
Editing and animations by Janali Thompson
Lizette filmed by Darren Weaver and Janali Thompson
Series produced by Vangie Koonce, Anne Hylden, Andrew Sobey, Janali Thompson, Elaine Seward, Darren Weaver, and Jefferson Beck
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Research videos from Hongyan Feng, Ph.D.
Additional video: Shutterstock
Sound effects: Soundsnap
Produced by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scientific conferences.
Join the #AmericanChemicalSociety! bit.ly/Join_ACS
#safetyfirst #acs #chemistry #fire
Safety first, safety second, and safety third. After a fire broke out during distillation, researchers at the University of Science and Technology of China determined its primary cause: an unsuspecting condenser. So unsuspecting that only 2.5% of students identified it as a risk factor. Lesson learned: Question every part of your experimental setup!
Make a difference. Make science safer. Join the conversation through the ACS CHAS-J to learn from others, contribute your expertise, and help create a safer future for chemistry and scientific research and practice worldwide.
Reporting in ACS Chemical Health & Safety, “Lesson Learned from a Fire during Distillation: Choose the Appropriate Condenser.”
Read the paper: doi.org/10.1021/acs.chas.2c00053
(Corresponding author: Hongyan Feng, Ph.D.)
Video credits:
Written, produced, and hosted by Lizette Miranda
Editing and animations by Janali Thompson
Lizette filmed by Darren Weaver and Janali Thompson
Series produced by Vangie Koonce, Anne Hylden, Andrew Sobey, Janali Thompson, Elaine Seward, Darren Weaver, and Jefferson Beck
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff
Research videos from Hongyan Feng, Ph.D.
Additional video: Shutterstock
Sound effects: Soundsnap
Produced by the American Chemical Society (ACS), one of the world’s largest scientific societies. ACS is a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals, and scientific conferences.
Join the #AmericanChemicalSociety! bit.ly/Join_ACS
#safetyfirst #acs #chemistry #fire
