HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) With labs shut down until further notice amid the COVID-19 pandemic, James Madison University's Chemistry Department is using some of the chemicals normally meant for teaching to aid local medical workers instead.

According to a statement from JMU, heads of the department quickly realized that some of their stored chemicals, like ethanol, glycerol and hydrogen peroxide, could be combined to make hand sanitizer, which has been in short supply in the Shenandoah Valley, just like most of the country.

"When I saw that hand sanitizer was needed, I asked our stockroom manager, Brian Kane, to do an inventory of the departmental supplies that we would need to make the sanitizer according to the WHO recipe and to calculate how much we could make with our unused chemicals," said Linette Watkins, unit head for the JMU Chemistry Department.

According to the school, Kane determined they had enough chemicals on hand to make about 100 liters, but could make around double that amount if they could find more glycerol.

"When the department faculty found out that we needed glycerol to make more, they donated more glycerol from their own labs to increase our capacity and we hope to make at least 200 liters," Watkins said.

The supplies are being pulled from the inventory by Kane, who is also making labels and then leaving them for Chakree Tanjaroon, an instrument chemist, who is making and bottling the solutions, according to Watkins.

Tanjaroon, who also is in charge of checking the building and helping keep equipment safe while the department lowers its energy expenditures, has been working alone to abide by social distancing protocols and has been making 30 liters a day.

The department donated its first 50 liters last week to Augusta Health.

Watkins said sanitizer will also be made for Sentara Rockingham Memorial Hospital and local doctors offices. Students may be employed to make some no-contact deliveries in the next few weeks.

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JMU Chemistry department uses chemicals left in the building to make hand sanitizer - WHSV