Patty, Chemicals really don't last forever. Changes take place everytime you open the bottle and some just from age even unopened. Salts used in buffers are hygroscopic. They may appear to look okay but they may not be for your application. How long you can use a chemical is dependent on it's application. I think everyone has experienced a solution not working even though you have followed the correct procedure and a repeat has the same outcome.
I have wrote a couple of articles a few years back that appeared in Laboratory Medicine Q&A and Microscopy Today on expiration dating of chemicals. The article in Microscopy Today is a little more indepth. I would not mind faxing you a copy. You may want to dig into more than the dot system. I would also suggest disposing chemicals that you may not know the actual age of, if they exist. On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 8:48 AM, Weber, Susan (VHACLE) <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > Color coding with sticker "dots" helps a bit. I designate a color for > each year (5 yrs/5 colors max) On the top of that years color I put a > date (usually 6/08 whatever) and make them easier to spot. (Pardon the > pun!)You can find color dots in the office supply catalog, Office Max > (or similar) or the craft stores. Happy Holidays To All! > > Sue Weber > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Patti > Loykasek > Sent: Monday, December 01, 2008 6:49 PM > To: histonet > Subject: [Histonet] Expiration date checks > > Hi all. I am hoping for some clever ideas on the best method to check > for > expired reagents. We all know that we shouldn't use them, I'm sure we > all > actively monitor this (right)! I must admit we occasionally have expired > reagents - a stain or buffer we haven't used in a while is in a cupboard > or > fridge & it has expired. What do others do to monitor & prevent this > from > happening? We have a weekly safety check that spot checks a certain # of > reagents for expiration, but we probably have thousands of reagents & > don't > check every single bottle every week. Thanks for the input. > > Patti Loykasek > > > > This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of > the > intended recipients and may contain privileged information. Any > unauthorized > review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not > the intended > recipient, please contact the sender by e-mail and destroy all copies of > the > original message, or you may call PhenoPath Laboratories, Seattle, WA > U.S.A. > at (206) 374-9000. > > > _______________________________________________ > Histonet mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet > > _______________________________________________ > Histonet mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet > -- Rande Kline, HT (ASCP) Histopathology Lab Concepts P-609-744-0803 F-609-939-0270 [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ Histonet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.utsouthwestern.edu/mailman/listinfo/histonet
