[Histonet] Osmium Tetroxide Protocol and mineral oil?

[Gayle Callis]

I agree, corn oil was what I was told also. We also had our chemical safety
people collect this waste.  

At 09:21 AM 5/26/2004 -0700, you wrote:
>Margaret wrote:
><<I keep a container of oil in the fume hood when i am working with 
>the osmium so I can pour oil on a spill if necesary or to neutralise 
>the osmium if mixed with , say , blood , because it binds to lipids 
>preferentially. I have used vegetable oil but it goes rancid over time. 
>Mineral oil is fine.>>
>
>I have not ever seen a reference of mineral oil being used to "neutralize"
>osmium. Osmium reacts with unsaturated oils and mineral oil, as far as I
>know is fully saturated. In fact, I imagine that what happens is that the
>osmium is simply dissolved in the mineral oil (similar to how it dissolves
>in xylene). I really doubt the osmium is being neutralized by the mineral
>oil. The following references give the proper procdure for using corn oil
>(poly unsaturated) to neutralize osmium. 
>
>http://www.cbwinfo.com/Chemical/HistandMisc/oso4.shtml
>http://www.wfubmc.edu/ehs/sop/osmimtw.pdf
>http://www.proscitech.com.au/catalogue/notes/c010.htm
>
>If you have a reference to support the mineral oil neutralization I'd
>certainly like to see it.
>
>Tim Morken
>
> 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Margaret Horne [mailto:mhorne <@t> upei.ca] 
>Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 5:57 AM
>To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu; mprice26 <@t> juno.com
>Subject: Re: [Histonet] Osmium Tetroxide Protocol
>
>
>Hi , when I handle osmium I always :
>
>a) Carry the Osmium to the fume hood in a plastic container . ie. 
>the Osmium solution is in a glass jar with a ground glass stopper 
>and heavily parafilmed. Also the jar is covered in aluminum foil ( to 
>avoid degradation from the light). This jar is Always carried about in 
>a plastic container with a lid. Heavy rubbermaid or tupperware is 
>good. Note that you will see the plastic container turn black over 
>time with the Osmium fumes escaping. We keep it in the " Dirty " 
>fridge , not the " Clean" fridge with our antibodies.
>
>b) The plastic container is opened in the fume hood and I wear a  
>labcoat and am Doubled Gloved. If the outer glove shows areas of 
>black , then the glove integrety has been compromised and I 
>replace the outer glove.  Double gloving can be uncomfortably tight. 
>I found that a nitrile for the inner glove and a latex for the outer 
>glove is comfortable for me but it depends on the fit of the gloves 
>you use . In a pinch I have used two pair of latex.
>
>c) Any glasswear that I use , I leave in the fume hood overnight for 
>the fumes to evaporate.
>
>d) I keep a container of oil in the fume hood when i am working with 
>the osmium so I can pour oil on a spill if necesary or to neutralise 
>the osmium if mixed with , say , blood , because it binds to lipids 
>preferentially. I have used vegetable oil but it goes rancid over time. 
>Mineral oil is fine.
>     
>      
>        Remember that osmium fumes alone are sometimes used to 
>fix tissue.  So working without proper ventilation means your 
>eyeballs are going to become fixed.  Insist on a proper fume hood.
>
>
>                       Other than that , it is not bad stuff to work with
>:-)
>
>                                                    Margaret
>
>ps. remember that osmium penetrates only 1 mm in depth so your 
>tissue has  to be diced small.
>
>
>Margaret Horne ,
>Histology Teaching Assistant,
>Dept. of B.SC.,
>Atlantic Veterinary College, U.P.E.I.,
>550 University Ave., Charlottetown,
>P.E.I.,  C1A 4P3 
>Canada
>
>
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>
Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology 
Montana State University - Bozeman
PO Box 173610
Bozeman MT 59717-3610
406 994-6367 (lab with voice mail)
406 994-4303 (FAX)