Chemicals in Histopath Lab

• Acetone

  • highly flammable and very volatile
  • can be narcotic in high concentration
  • monitored by PDEA
  • can be used as nail polish remover
• Acetone

  highly flammable and very volatile

  can be narcotic in high concentration

  monitored by PDEA

  used as nail polish remover
• Aliphatic Hydrocarbon Clearing Agent


  less toxic, non-irritating, non- sensitizing to normal human skin

  combustible or flammable

  recycled via fractional distillation
• Acetic Acid


  -used as fixative

  -toeo: respiratory system and corrosive to most metals

  -when dispensing concentrated acid, use chemical fume hoods, nitrile gloves, goggles, and impermeable apron

  -do not mix with CA,NA,NaOH, KOH

  -when fixing hard bones, do not use as fixative
• Aluminum Sulfate


  not as dangerous as others but can cause eye irritation
• Ammonium Hydroxide


  -very dangerous

  -severe irritant on eye, skin, and respiratory tract

  -toeo: respiratory system (fibrosis and edema)

  -store away from acids

  -do not mix with formaldehyde (heat and toxic vapors)

  -spilling of 500ml must need to evacuate the lab quickly

  • NH3 H2O, bluing agent, hematoxylin
• Celloidin (stabilized Nitrocellulose)


  -harmless in health hazard but dangerously flammable as solid

  -solutions contain highly flammable ether and alcohol

  -used in embedding/infiltration as substitute for paraffin wax
• Chloroform


  -clearing agent

  -toxic by inhalation and ingestion

  -overexposure can caused: DUD

  -toeo: the liver, reprod, fetal, blood, GIT, and CNS

  -most dangerous and diff chem in the lab

  -do not burn

  -do not evaporate
• Chromic acid


  -highly toxic, targets kidneys, corrosive to skin, mm, and carcinogenic

  -strong oxidizer

  -serious environmental hazard

  -highly prioritize chemical for elimination in the lab
• Diaminobenzidine


  -human carcinogenic

  -pose little health risk under normal condition of use

  -do not use chlorine bleach as reactant, products remain mutagenic

  -used in immunohistochemistry

  -appears brown when staining nucleus and cytoplasm
• Dimethylformadide


  -skin, nose and eye irritant that can cause nausea

  -reproductive toxin

  -combustible liquid
• Dioxane


  -skin and eye irritant can cause corneal ulceration

  -flammable liquid that develops explosive properties after a year

  -do not use this chemical
• Dyes


  -handle with caution in powder form, pose a little health risk in liquid form except if ingested or skin contact

  -used in staining
• Ethanol


  -skin and eye irritant

  -flammable liquid

  -recycled via distillation
• Ether


  -mild to moderate skin and eye irritant

  -overexposure can cause: DUD

  -targets nervous system following inhalation or skin absorption

  -dangerously flammable liquid that can form explosive peroxides

  -place in metal container
• Ethidium bromide


  -may be harmful by inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption

  -chronic exposure cause alteration of genes

  -dont let pregnant women and cancer patients be exposed to this chemical
• Ethylene glycol ether


  -toxic via inhalation, ingestion and skin absorption

  -toeo: respi, repro, urinary and blood group system

  -alternative: propylene based glycol ethers

  -combustible liquid

  -used in frozen question
• Formaldehyde


  -most serious chem hazard in the lab

  -toxic via inhalation and ingestion

  -toeo: respiratory system

  -carcinogenic

  -corrosive on metals

  -severe skin and eye irritant

  -exposure of skin during grossing is greatest risk in a well ventilated lab
• Formic acid


  -decalcifying agent

  -mild skin and severe eye irritant

  -use chemical fume hoods when using

  -corrosive to metal
• Glutaraldehyde


  -severe eye and skin irritant

  -use as fixative agent
• Hydrochloric acid


  -Strong eye and skin irritant and respiratory system

  -concentrated acid can be hazardous (fumes)

  -toeo: via inhalation on respi, reprod, and fetal system
• Hydrogen peroxide


  -solutions less than 5% is less harmful

  -concentrated solutions are hazardous

  -used in bacte, catalase test for SAU
• Hydroquinone


  -irritant capable of causing dermatitis, and corneal ulceration

  -may cause dizziness, sense of suffocation, vomiting, headache, cyanosis, delirium, and collapse

  -do mot mix with sodium hydroxide
• Iodine


  -strong irritant and corrosive to eyes, skin, and respi

  -dermal sensitizer

  -harmless but avoid ingestion because it can be harmful
• Isopentane


  -excessive exposure can cause irritation to respiratory tract, cough, mild depression and irregular heart beat

  -extremely flammable and highly volatile
• Isopropanol


  -Toxic by ingestion

  -flammable liquid

  -recycled via distillation
• Limonene


  -dangerous sensitizers in histology

  -can not be recycled back

  -safe additives

  -used as clearing agent

  -less toxic than xylene

  -expensive shit
• Mercuric chloride


  -severe eye irritant

  -toeo: fetal, urogenital, repro, respi and GIT system

  -severe environmental hazard

  -corrosive to metals

  -legitimate disposal of mercury-containing waste are very difficult and expensive
• Methanol


  -moderate skin and eye irritant

  -may cause blindness or death

  -flammable and rather volatile

  -can be recycled
• Nitric acid


  -decalcifying agent, mix with formalin to be a good decalcifying agent

  -corrosive to skin, mm, and most metals

  -toxic by inhalation

  -donnot put concentrated acid on tissue for it causes it to softens and turn yellow
• Osmium tetroxide


  -corrosive to eyes and mucous membranes

  -vapors are extremely toxic to respi, repro and sensory system
• oxalic acid


  -safe when diluted

  -when concentrated, it is corrosive

  -severe burns to eyes, mucous membranes, and skin
• Periodic acid


  -relatively safe
• Phenol


  -readily absorb in the skin, can cause increase heart rate, convulsions and death, severe burns in the eyes

  -combustible
• Picric acid


  -explosive when combine to metals

  -should not be pouring down as you disposed cause it forms explosive picrates

  -jars and caps should be wiped with damp towel to prevent from drying

  -toxic when absorped in the skin
• Potassium permanganate


  -irritant

  -should not combined with acetic acid, ammonium hydroxide, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, ethanol, ethylene glycol ethers, glycerol and sulfuric acid

  -most difficult chemical to handle
• Propylene Glycol


  -substitute for ethylene glycol based ethers
• Silver salts


  -Safe when fresh, explosive when old

  -severe environmental hazard
• Sodium Azide


  -vey toxic and fatal when swallowed, absorb in the skin, and mixed with metals

  -explosive when mixed with metals

  -should not be discard in the drain