Hi friends,

Recently the fairies gifted me two sugar cubes with what was referred to as "super pure acid"...so I dissolved the cubes in 90% distilled water and 10% alcohol, and took 3 drops and mixed them with 3 drops of the Ehrlich reagent I have...no reaction occurred, which hints that what I have is not acid...but I wonder if the reagent has an expiration period, after which it just stops working? I've had it for quite a while, and I have no idea when it was made before it got to me, so it may very well be years old...also would the alcohol disrupt the normal function of the reagent and cause it to not work properly?

Any help is very much appreciated.

Peace & Light.

Do you have any other tryptamine/indole-based substance at hand to test your ehrlich with?

Hi endy, thanks for the quick reply!

I'm afraid the only thing I have at hand is DMT dissolved in IPA. Would that suffice?

- I doubt it because the Ehrlich's reagent is basically p–dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (DMAB) dissolved in ethanol and some acid i think. Maybe it is 25I or another possibility is that your reagent gone bad.

Good Luck!

Yes DMT works. You can try with it dissolved in the IPA and you can try it evapping the IPA first, and note if there's any reaction in either. if not, then your ehrlich is bad

Yep it reacted with the IPA solution and turned pink/purplish...so what I have is some sort of 25I? Should I pour it down the drain, or should I try a little bit and see what's up?

I think it's pretty clear that you should NOT consume a fake substance passed off as LSD

Note taken. Pouring it down the drain. Thanks for the assistance.

Be well.

a shame

Maybe you can find a way to verify unequivocally what the substance is (send it for GC-MS) if only to get to the truth of the matter.

Please don't pour drugs or medication down the drain. Some substances can persist in the environment or food chain for years and cause untold damage. Just soak it in waste paper and burn it or toss solids into a fire straight.

Also you can use UV light, aka a blacklight, as another piece in the puzzle to determine what substance you have.

LSD, as well as the morning glory alkaloids, fluoresce blue under blacklight.

Since neither of us has any idea what the substance in question is, how can you be so sure that burning it instead of pouring it down the drain would cause less damage to the environment? Not trying to be cocky or anything, just curious if burning it is always safer than pouring it down the drain, and if so - why.



Thanks for letting me know, I had no idea they do. Currently there is someone in the area that does free substance testing with various reagents, so maybe that'll be my first step. If he can't identify what that is, I'll just turn my back on it, since I don't want to pay for the GC-MS.

Hey Nydex,

In regards to disposing of the stuff: do you have any expired liquid cough syrup? Or other med?

You could mix the unknown drug into that and take it to the local pharmacy. Just say you found it while walking, and didn't want more meds to go into the water system. You can say that you have no idea what it is, they shouldn't care.


That's something that is left out of many teks. I only see people discuss extraction; but never really much mention of disposal. There are other ways to dispose of it. The pharmacy is just the cheapest (free). I can't imagine how many people performing DMT extractions probably dump their waste down the toilet - especially in this age of YouTube.


Anyways, try the pharmacy if you haven't already disposed of it.

Take Care,
ACY

Hi Acy,

Thanks for your input. If the pharmacy isn't an option, what others do I have?

I really never have thought much about disposal, but I've only done two extractions so far. Sadly both of them went down the drain after they were complete, which I know is wrong and won't do it again.

How would one best dispose of the basified mix that's left behind after pulling, as well as the NPS?

Thanks!

I always thought that NPS can simply be placed in a metal bucket outside and set on fire, BUT i dont know what gasses if/are released into the atmoshpere when a NPS is on fire (Carbon dioxide?), chemists answear please im curious, currently i have no idea but i will check that soon. As for basified mix if we are talking about basified mix without the bark (aka "tea" i dont see what is the problem of throwing it down the drain (it will unclogg the drain too ) but maybe you can add small amount of vinegar to bring it close to neutral and then pour it down the drain, as for the bark you simply can wash it in a strainer and compost it or simply throw it in your garden and add manure for the plants.

Note: just to be sure before you pour basified mix down the drain get a long barbecue lighter and run the flame over the top of the basified mix to burn off residual NPS floating on water surface.
One of the biggest pollutions humans done to this beautfull planet is pouring NPS's in oceans,lakes,streams etc. (oil mining)

But for the "super pure acid" i have no idea, i think ACY idea is actually pretty good.

Hey Folks!

SO: This may be a good time for me to introduce something that I have been meaning to do for a while....

Reclaiming Solvent

I had planned to do a pictorial guide to cleaning and reusing the NPS that we use for DMT extractions. SO, with that in mind, I'll do it when I get back to my house this evening. In fact, I am preparing for a relocation and I have a hidden stash of "old NPS" that needs to be cleaned and replaced in the appropriate containers before it can be transported or disposed.

Bear with me, I'll probably not be able to get the full write up finished until Thursday or Friday. For now, if you have some solvent - just store it for a few days, and I'll try to get the complete guide composed ASAP. We've got a lot going on, but this needs to be addressed before I relocate. (I'll include the procedure, step by step, with a picture to accompany each step.)

Th Entity has brought up a valid point - what about the base mix? That was a concern of mine as well. I sought after a method to "neutralize" and dispose of the material with minimal hazards to the environment. So, I wondered: What is the best approach for an individual that does not have access to a formal lab?

(In a formal lab setting, we collect all waste, label it, store in a specific location designated for wastes, keep the halogenated solvents separate from the other organic solvents, oxidizers separate, flammables separate, etc etc etc.) IMO, this is the best approach for organic solvents (NPS), though it is not practical for someone who isn't within a laboratory network.

Another option: You can clean the solvent via the method that I will propose in the next few days, return it to the original container, and take it to a waste facility. They generally have a designated location for things like motor oils and other products that could be hazardous to the environment. You can simply say, "This is used naphtha (or other solvent) that I didn't want to throw in the trash." If they do not have a means of handling organic solvents, then they should be able to direct you to a proper disposal facility. It may help to call the facility, ahead of time, and ask if they accept 'waste oils or used cleaning solvents.'

SO, there still lies the question about the base mix. That can be safely neutralized - but, I would not recommend attempting to do so without the proper safety equipment. Unfortunately, it will be rather difficult to completely separate ALL of the organic solvent from the aqueous - they are miscible to an extent. We can consider a few options:

First, the neutralization procedure. IMO almost every tek suggests large amounts of a strong base. Ok, fine - while that will work, I've found that the excessive amounts of base are not needed. I wanted to experiment with natural acidification using the tannins found in bark, and then determine the estimated quantity of sodium hydroxide that is needed to achieve and maintain a stable pH of >13. If you'd like, you can see the report here.

Essentially, I found that I'd been using WAY too much sodium hydroxide in my previous extractions. With the method I presented, it required roughly 1/5th of the mass that is commonly recommended. Make of that what you will - it's personal preference; I am trying to be more conservative about the resources I use during an extraction process.

Sodium hydroxide is a strong base - it totally dissociates in water. This is good! This means we can use a strong acid, like HCl, to neutralize the mix.

NaOH + HCl -> H2O + NaCl

The reaction between HCl and NaOH yields water and table salt! This is good news, because the products are non-hazardous to the environment. HOWEVER!!!!! Neutralizing, by using a strong acid and a strong base, is highly exothermic. If the acid and base are mixed at a fast rate, you'll likely have a very dangerous mess to clean; or potentially injure yourself. Again: safety, safety, safety!!! I cannot emphasize that enough. With the proper safety equipment, this can be done - but, not quickly - and, not recommended for conditions with an excess of either.

You would need a molar equivalency (1:1) of the acid and the base. With the high levels of NaOH used, it will likely require a decent amount of acid (relative to the scaling.)

Let's assume that the neutralization process went well, and now you have a neutral mix of bark, water, salt and ..... that trace naphtha (or other solvent.) So, there is the kikker, right? No matter what, there is going to be some of the organic solvent that will remain trapped in the mix. From here, there are a few options - but, I recommend looping back around to: placing the neutralized mix in a safe container, and delivering it to the local waste facility. You could say, "We used this water to clean some paint brushes after a project, and we're concerned that there is some paint thinner remaining in the water. It's got some soil and debris in there, too - I accidentally dumped the soil from a plant (that was being re-potted) into the wrong bucket. Where should it be disposed?" If you don't feel comfortable with that: Understandable. I think it is the most environmentally safe option.





Burning the solvent: or allowing the solvent to evaporate, will release green-house gasses into the atmosphere. Is it being done? Yes. The combustion of hydrocarbons results in: (The choice of pentane is arbitrary. I got tired of typing CHx-, so I stopped at 5.)

Pentane + Oxygen (gas) -> Carbon dioxide (gas) + water
CH3-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH3 + 16 O2 -> 5 CO2 + 6 H2O

So, either way: evaporation or combustion will result in the increased concentration of greenhouse gasses. LOL... funny world, eh?



Anyways, with this wall of text, I hope that it can offer some considerations while we move towards environmentally friendly procedures.

Personally? I clean and reuse solvent. I don't evaporate the solvent, or burn it, or dump it. That costs money!! LOL. The cleaning procedure is REALLY cheap, and REALLY easy. In my current region, the big box stores are no longer selling naphtha. So, I have to reclaim the solvent if I wish to continue using it.

I neutralize the bark mix, and dispose of the material at the local waste facility. I have not had any trouble from the folks there, they don't care what you were doing with it. They are just waiting for 5 o'clock to come and then they can go home. They see painters, contractors, landscapers, and etc. who all bring used chemicals to the facility on a daily basis.

I hope that can clarify some of the options for waste disposal.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Take Care,
ACY

While there is no guarantee that this will be the case, most common organic substances breakdown in intense heat to much smaller compounds that are less likely to cause direct harm to plants and animals. It is for this reason along with preventing spread of disease that syringes, needles and drug waste from hospitals is incinerated.

Most of us don't have access to incinerators, so a good hot fire is the next best option. Obviously this doesn't hold good for lots of inorganic substances. It is a far from perfect solution but safer IMHO than pouring it down the drain.

So my best bet in this scenario is bringing it to a pharmacy for them to deal with its disposal, as Acy said above?

I believe that would be the best solution but would it draw the unwanted attention of law enforcement on you?

I am slightly paranoid about discretion so personally I wouldn't dare.

Well they can't really do anything since I'll just go in, say "found this on the ground, dispose of it the proper way" and walk out before they can even ask a question. I'll be long gone before they even think of calling police or whatever.