Microwave disposal of agar plates
Re: Microwave disposal of agar plates
Enjoy your meal YUMMY!
Re: Microwave disposal of agar plates
I put my microwave in the fume hood when nuking the plates - no nasty smells or aerosols. I used to find the oven bags occasionally broke when using a pressure cooker, and the steam and stench when I removed the lid! The pressure cooker here is quite shallow, and one day the bag blocked the safety valve, causing it to fly out, which then made the bags break and agar shot out at very high speed all over the roof!!! Apparently it also happened to the previous labbie on a few occasions, but no one bothered to worry about the OHS implications and she kept using it. That's why I refuse to use it again and have a microwave.
Snoopy
Snoopy
- ELIZABETH
- Posts: 233
- Joined: 02 Jun 2006, 10:00
- School: O'Connor Catholic College
- Suburb: Armidale
- State/Location: NSW
Re: Microwave disposal of agar plates
Would never autoclave or microwave plates. On the advice of a microbiologist, I put the plates in a plastic bag, add bleach, seal, agitate a bit and then bin them. No aerosols, no yukky mess!
Liz
Liz
Re: Microwave disposal of agar plates
Oh hey Snoopy, where's the photos? That must have been worth a photo or two, surely!
Cheers, K
- Sharls
- Posts: 29
- Joined: 14 Feb 2007, 10:00
- Job Title: Laboratory Manager
- School: Clarence Valley Anglican School
- Suburb: Grafton
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Sterillising agar plates.
I was wondering what all of you labbies who like me, do not have an autoclave, do to sterilise used agar plates? What are the alternatives to autoclaving?
Sharlene
Sharlene
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- School: Central Coast Grammar School
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Re: Sterillising agar plates.
Hi Sharls, do a search and you'll find heaps on this. I myself cook in oven bags in the microwave for a total of 15mins but as I say do a search and you'll find a whole lot of info goodluck!!! MariaC
Re: Sterillising agar plates.
Some people nuke 'em in a microwave oven. Don't know how effective this is.
OR You could do what one labbie I know does. Tie 'em up in a plastic bag and put in garbage. She can't see the difference between them and food that has come out of some people's fridges and school bags
OR You could do what one labbie I know does. Tie 'em up in a plastic bag and put in garbage. She can't see the difference between them and food that has come out of some people's fridges and school bags
-
- Posts: 76
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- School: Murrumburrah High School
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Re: Sterillising agar plates.
Hi Sharls, I cook mine in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes (15 minutes of boiling), wrap in newspaper and put in the rubbish.
- Labbie
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Re: Microwave disposal of agar plates
This may help with sterillising agar plates, for some reason I can not merge this post.
Do hope it helps.
Do hope it helps.
Regards Labbie
Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired
Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired
- Labbie
- Posts: 3243
- Joined: 28 Nov 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: Retired
- Suburb: At Home
- State/Location: NSW
Re: Microwave disposal of agar plates
Hi Kay, this may help you.
Regards Labbie
Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired
Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired
- Lis
- Posts: 362
- Joined: 01 Jun 2006, 10:00
- Job Title: Laboratory Technician
- School: Central Coast Grammar
- Suburb: Erina Heights
- State/Location: NSW
Re: Microwave disposal of agar plates
We have just bought bacterial cultures from Southern Biological, and they recommend
'all equipment is sterilised prior to disposal. Sterilise at 121oC & a pressure of 15psi for 20-30minutes prior to disposal'
On another sheet for 'antiobiotics & bacteria'
"All bacterial cultures sold by Southern Biological are generally considered to be non-pathogenic, although it is essential that students and teachersuse and regard ALL bacteria as potentially dangerous. For this reason, all plates, swabs, cultures, etc, should be autoclaved or incinerated after use. If heat sterilisation is not an option, use undiluted bleach on cultures prior to disposal. 70% alcohol should be made available for skin disinfection in the case of accidental contact with the cultures."
Hope this has helped, it did for me
Cheers
Lisa
'all equipment is sterilised prior to disposal. Sterilise at 121oC & a pressure of 15psi for 20-30minutes prior to disposal'
On another sheet for 'antiobiotics & bacteria'
"All bacterial cultures sold by Southern Biological are generally considered to be non-pathogenic, although it is essential that students and teachersuse and regard ALL bacteria as potentially dangerous. For this reason, all plates, swabs, cultures, etc, should be autoclaved or incinerated after use. If heat sterilisation is not an option, use undiluted bleach on cultures prior to disposal. 70% alcohol should be made available for skin disinfection in the case of accidental contact with the cultures."
Hope this has helped, it did for me
Cheers
Lisa
Re: Microwave disposal of agar plates
I microwave them, then put bag inside another one containing disinfectant and it goes to the big skip bin....
Have you ever seen what grows in those bins????
At least our waste has been dealt with!
Have you ever seen what grows in those bins????
At least our waste has been dealt with!