[Histonet] pH probes and dyes-compatible?

[Gayle Callis]

Greg,

What you should do it provide your own electrode, a single/combination 
plastic barrel that can be interchanged with their pH meter (check 
specifications).   Just make sure this electrode is compatible with TRIS 
buffers too,  you may need to pH one of those sometime.  This way you don't 
anger the chem people if any residual dye is clinging to the electrode.

The combination plastic electrodes are NOT expensive, and to maintain them, 
store in the pH 4 buffer used to calibrate the meter.  These electrodes 
often have a protective sleeve down over the leads, so sitting them in a 
flask with storage pH 4 buffer (stable, cheap under vendor name/labels) will 
not damage the bottom where leads are located during stirring or storage. 
The pH 4 buffer supposedly keeps the openings to leads from plugging up.  We 
get slimy stuff growing in distilled water storage, but less so than pH 4 
buffer - be sure to rinse this away with distilled water before pH 
adjustment/readings.

After you trash the plastic barrel electrode with stains (and not the 
chemistry lab's precious electrodes), just replace with another, cheap 
electrode.  We were advised of this years ago, and it worked for us.  It may 
be in your best interest to buy an electrode stand - there are some clever 
ones that have flexible arms to free up your hands for pH adjustment and 
when attaching your electrode to the meter.  Our electrode is long and 
skinny, to reach into narrow, but large flasks or bottles for solution 
preparations e.g. pH adjustment of 14% tetrasodium EDTA decalcifiying 
solution - 2 liters or more at a time.

We thought we would not need a pH meter in the histolab, but it  has been a 
godsend for over 20 years.    There are some inexpensive, reliable meters 
out there.

Gayle M. Callis
HTL/HT/MT(ASCP)
Bozeman MT 59715


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Greg Dobbin" <gvdobbin <@t> ihis.org>
To: <Histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>
Sent: Thursday, April 24, 2008 9:26 AM
Subject: [Histonet] pH probes and dyes-compatible?


Hi Folks,
I will need to use a pH meter in our Chemistry Lab to pH alizarin red.
I would hate to ruin someone else's pH meter! Can anyone tell me if the
repeated use of a pH probe for pH'ing dyes will affect the porosity of
the glass probe or have any other detrimental affects for that matter?
(I would use a pH meter far too infrequently to warrant maintaining one
in my own lab.)
Thanks.
Greg

Greg Dobbin, R.T.
Chief Technologist, Histology Lab
Dept. of Laboratory Medicine,
Queen Elizabeth Hospital,
P.O. Box 6600
Charlottetown, PE    C1A 8T5
Phone: (902) 894-2337
Fax: (902) 894-2385

There is some merit in doing the right thing rather badly,
but absolutely none in doing the wrong thing excellently!

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