[Histonet] Water for H&E Stainers?

[WILLIAM DESALVO]

Tap water is most often used in H&E staining for rinsing and sometimes blueing and can be very cost effective. I do suggest you use a filter prior to the water entering the instrument. The filter can eleviate one of the key concerns, contaminates. 
The typical contaminates/compounds can be: 
Inorganic ions: chlorides, nitrates, sulfates, sodium, calcium, iron
Organic molecules: humic acids, phenols, tannins, pesticide residues
Particles and colloids
Microorganisms and their by-products
Dissolved gases
 
The other key concern is that the pH of the tap water may vary by location and even season. To change the color of hematoxylin stained nuclei from redish to blue, the pH should be 7 or higher. Most tap water is typically slightly acidic (pH of around 6.0 to 6.8), but this is much more alkaline than the pH of the haematoxylin, around pH 2.7. Rinsing for two to five minutes in running tap water will remove most of the excess mordant giving sharp blue nuclear staining. If you want sharper and better defined
 
As my good friend Skip Brown states, a good H&E stain is "balance of coloration". Understand the chemistry and you control the balance. 
 
William DeSalvo, BS HTL(ASCP)
 
> Date: Tue, 27 Sep 2016 14:17:08 -0700
> To: liz at premierlab.com; patpxs at gmail.com; histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Subject: Re: [Histonet] Water for H&E Stainers?
> From: histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> 
> Our Prisma is connected to tap water with a prefilter that we change weekly. 
> CathyBritish Columbia 
> 
> 
> Sent from my Samsung Galaxy smartphone.
> -------- Original message --------From: Elizabeth Chlipala via Histonet <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu> Date: 2016-09-27  9:54 AM  (GMT-08:00) To: P Sicurello <patpxs at gmail.com>, "'histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu'	(histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu)" <histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu> Subject: Re: [Histonet] Water for H&E Stainers? 
> Paula
> 
> We have ours hooked up to tap water.
> 
> Liz
> 
> Elizabeth A. Chlipala, BS, HTL(ASCP)QIHC
> Premier Laboratory, LLC
> PO Box 18592
> Boulder, CO 80308
> (303) 682-3949 office
> (303) 682-9060 fax
> (303) 881-0763 cell
> liz at premierlab.com
> www.premierlab.com
> 
> Ship to Address:
> 
> Premier Laboratory, LLC
> 1567 Skyway Drive, Unit E
> Longmont, CO 80504
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: P Sicurello via Histonet [mailto:histonet at lists.utsouthwestern.edu] 
> Sent: Tuesday, September 27, 2016 10:28 AM
> To: HistoNet
> Subject: [Histonet] Water for H&E Stainers?
> 
> Good Morning Everyone,
> 
> 
> 
> What type of water do you use with your automated H&E stainers?  House or deionized/distilled?
> 
> 
> 
> We cannot buy one of the waterless, fancy schmancy H&E stainers at this time.  L Thank you in advance.
> 
> Sincerely,
> 
> 
> 
> Paula
> 
> 
> 
> Paula Sicurello, HTL (ASCP)CM
> 
> Histotechnology Specialist
> 
> UC San Diego Health
> 
> 200 Arbor Drive
> 
> San Diego, CA 92103
> 
> (P): 619-543-2872
> 
> 
> 
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