Melbourn advocates switch to "green chemistry" as acetonitrile shortage bites

Melbourn Scientific has responded to the shortage of acetonitrile by stressing that there are equally effective alternatives that are less harmful to the environment and has launched a service to assist companies in minimising the impact of this shortage.

Acetonitrile is a by-product from automotive plastics that is widely used in the pharmaceutical industry.

Steve Westcott, managing director of Melbourn Scientific, sees the shortage of acetonitrile as the spur the industry needs to consider using "green chemistry".

"Acetonitrile is a popular choice for liquid chromatography. It is chosen because it dissolves a range of compounds without complications and has low acidity and minimal chemical reactivity. However, it can be toxic in certain conditions and needs careful handling.

"We have been encouraging clients to reduce the amount of solvents used in analytical method development for several years. This has involved using newer techniques such as ultra high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) or new HALO column technology, which use smaller volumes of solvent and generate data more quickly.

"It is expected that the shortage of acetonitrile will continue, at least in the short term, and the pharmaceutical industry could begin to suffer should the situation continue.

"As a contract research organisation with a wide client base we have developed varied strategies to ensure continuity of support, but where possible the option of reassessing methods could lead to a reduction in the overall demand for this product which is to everyone's benefit," he said.

Melbourn Scientific has recently redesigned its laboratories in Cambridgeshire, which has improved efficiency and reduced the amount of consumables used and the amount of equipment on standby, cut the amount of reagents and solvents used, and provided improved onsite sorting of waste for recycling.