Just put it in your filter, if all your fish die you'll know not to use it again......
Man...I'm an ass!!!!
I don't know if it's ok or not but I got two cheap ideas for you that are safe. THese ideas are for your drip tray, not your overflow box. The rolls of foam padding from a fabric store are pretty cheap and safe to use but a challenge to get real clean.
THere is also a Furnace filter pad I buy for pretty cheap that is cut to fit and completly safe. It's so cheap I just throw it away and replace it every couple weeks.
If your needing something to go in your pre-filter box I have cylinder shaped sponges for really cheap and have the DLS roll type pre filters too.