RE: [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not? NO PHI

2014-06-26 Thread Andrew Horvath
We only recycle xylene which we've tested purity and was close to 98-99% and
is used in both H&E staining and processing with no issue.  I've done 8 hour
xylene vapor monitoring in our recycling room, while recycling was
occurring, and the results were 6.0ppm where the OSHA exposure limit is
100.0ppm.



Andrew Horvath, MBA, MA
Operations Manager
303-770-4848 (O)
303-770-6641 (fax)
 
Colorado GI Pathology
7346 S. Alton Way
Suite 10E
Centennial, CO 80112



-Original Message-
From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Podawiltz,
Thomas
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 9:23 AM
To: Barbara Tibbs; Sanders, Jeanine (CDC/OID/NCEZID);
histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not? NO PHI

They are very fussy as you put it. However, I am even more anal than they
are about our work. We do QA checks both before and after we recycle. 



Tom Podawiltz HT (ASCP)
Histology Section Head 
LRGHealthcare
Laconia, NH 03246
603-524-3211 ext: 3220




-Original Message-
From: Barbara Tibbs [mailto:barbara.ti...@accuratediagnosticlabs.com] 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 10:37 AM
To: Podawiltz, Thomas; Sanders, Jeanine (CDC/OID/NCEZID);
histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: Recycled or not? NO PHI

Maybe your pathologists aren't as fussy as the pathologists I worked with at
the time.

Barbara S. Tibbs
Histology Supervisor
Accurate Diagnostic Labs
South Plainfield, NJ
barbara.ti...@accuratediagnosticlabs.com
732-839-3374
Cell: 610-809-6508



From: Podawiltz, Thomas 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 1:33 PM
To: Barbara Tibbs; Sanders, Jeanine (CDC/OID/NCEZID);
histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: Recycled or not?  NO PHI

We have never had an issue with either our recycled xylene or alcohol that
was not self inflicted. When our system is running there are no fumes.


Tom Podawiltz HT (ASCP)
Histology Section Head
LRGHealthcare
Laconia, NH 03246
603-524-3211 ext: 3220



-Original Message-
From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Barbara
Tibbs
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 9:06 AM
To: Sanders, Jeanine (CDC/OID/NCEZID); histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not?

While I can agree that recycling alcohol and xylene is both environmentally
and economically advantageous, technically it's awful.  There's no way to
make used alcohol and xylene as pure as it was originally.  There's also the
issue of fumes from recycling a solvent.  The company I had used years ago
swore that there were no fumes when using their machine but the personnel
working in the laboratory would vigorously disagree.

Barbara S. Tibbs
Histology Supervisor
Accurate Diagnostic Labs
South Plainfield, NJ
barbara.ti...@accuratediagnosticlabs.com
732-839-3374
Cell: 610-809-6508



From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
 on behalf of Sanders, Jeanine
(CDC/OID/NCEZID) 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 9:45 AM
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Recycled or not?

Morning All!

I have heard for years the general problems with using recycled alcohols on
H&E stainers, but do the same problems occur when using recycled xylene?

Thanks!

Jeanine H. Sanders
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Infectious Diseases Pathology
Branch
404-639-3590
j...@cdc.gov


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Re: [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not? NO PHI

2014-06-26 Thread koellingr
Hi Joyce, 
Absolutely agree with recycling concept, value, money saved and no fumes in lab 
(if using newer models) and if used properly.  I've always been curious about 
the concept of a lab recycler making xylene "purer" by distilling out isomers.  
Which unit do you have?  meta-xylene is in great demand as a feedstock for 
plastic production.  Since xylene(s) are a mixture of ortho-, meta- and para 
all of which differ in boiling points by just very few degrees, they are (near) 
impossible to separate out from one another by ordinary distillation and need 
multi-fractional set-ups with crystallization and absorption and catalytic 
beds.  Manufacturers spend vast sums to do this and are always looking for a 
better way.  What unit do you have?  Have you had chromatography done on your 
(new) input and then output xylene.  I've done it extensively for alcohol but 
never xylene. Thanks, 
  
Ray 
Seattle, WA 

- Original Message -

From: "Joyce K. Weems"  
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 8:33:04 AM 
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not?  NO PHI 

I have used recycled xylene since the mid-80s and the only problem is that it 
is purer than new xylene and can make biopsies crispy. (The isomers get 
distilled out.) We use new xylene on the biopsy processor. The recycler is in 
our lab and there are no fumes at all. 

Surely does save money. 

Joyce Weems 
Pathology Manager 
678-843-7376 Phone 
678-843-7831 Fax 
joyce.we...@emoryhealthcare.org 



www.saintjosephsatlanta.org 
5665 Peachtree Dunwoody Road 
Atlanta, GA 30342 

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-Original Message- 
From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
[mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of McAnn, Sherrian 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 11:20 AM 
To: Blazek, Linda; Podawiltz, Thomas; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not? NO PHI 

We routinely recycle both our alcohols and xylenes. They are checked for purity 
and with the alcohol the extra step of ensuring that we are getting the correct 
percentage (95%) recovered. We have never had any issues in any of our 
processors or stainers since using recycled reagents. We also have not had an 
issue with fumes. The recyclers nowadays are much better than their older 
versions and I think that sometimes prejudices come into play with the older 
techs like me who were around for the older models.  P. S. We used to have to 
do ours on a hotplate with a large round glass ball and would have to clean the 
ball out.  Those were not the good ole days. :) 

-Original Message- 
From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
[mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Blazek, Linda 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 9:43 AM 
To: Podawiltz, Thomas; histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not? NO PHI 

I agree with Tom.  With the exception of self-inflicted issues we also have not 
had any issues with recycling our reagents.  We check each batch as it is 
recycled. 
We also don't have a problem with fumes.  (And our pathologists are 
fussy) 


-Original Message- 
From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
[mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Podawiltz, 
Thomas 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 10:34 AM 
To: Barbara Tibbs; Sanders, Jeanine (CDC/OID/NCEZID); 
histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not? NO PHI 

We have never had an issue with either our recycled xylene or alcohol that was 
not self inflicted. When our system is running there are no fumes. 


Tom Podawiltz HT (ASCP) 
Histology Section Head 
LRGHealthcare 
Laconia, NH 03246 
603-524-3211 ext: 3220 



-Original Message- 
From: histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
[mailto:histonet-boun...@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Barbara 
Tibbs 
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2014 9:06 AM 
To: Sanders, Jeanine (CDC/OID/NCEZID); histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu 
Subject: [Histonet] RE: Recycled or not? 

While I can agree that recycling alcohol and xylene is both 
environmentally and economically advantageous, technically it's awful. 
There's no way to make used alcohol and xylene as pure as it was 
originally.  There's also the issue of fumes from recycling a solvent. 
The company I had used years ago swore that there were no fumes when 
using their machine but the personnel working in the laboratory would 
vigorously disagree. 

Barbara S. Tibbs 
Histology Supervisor 
Accurate Diagnostic L