Is Ethidium Bromide in Gel Harmful? Concerns About Accidental Exposure

  • Thread starter Ali00
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In summary, if you touch ethidium bromide gel or solution, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water. You will be safe if the gel was diluted, mostly trapped in the gel, and you washed your hands right away. If you were not fine, you would have laughed.
  • #1
Ali00
3
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How dangerous is ethidium bromide in a hardened gel? I touched it (the hardened gel) with my bare hands (accident) and immediately proceeded to wash thoroughly with soap and water. haha am i going to be fine? This was 6 micro liters of EtBr in a 300 mL solution. Thx a lot in advance.
 
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  • #2
Oddly, the OSHA website has no exposure guidelines regarding ethidium bromide, but I think you should be safe at that dilution. If it was pure, you'd be in trouble.
 
  • #3
Since it was already diluted and mostly trapped in the gel and you washed your hands right away (and I'm assuming you just bumped it lightly if it was an accident), you should be fine.

As a general note (in case you didn't already know this), if you do expose yourself to something and want to wash it off, use warm water, not hot or cold, and mild handsoap, not strong detergent...you don't want to irritate or break the skin, which would make the exposure worse.
 
  • #4
Ali00 said:
How dangerous is ethidium bromide in a hardened gel? I touched it (the hardened gel) with my bare hands (accident) and immediately proceeded to wash thoroughly with soap and water. haha am i going to be fine? This was 6 micro liters of EtBr in a 300 mL solution. Thx a lot in advance.
If you weren't fine, why would you laugh like that ?

PS>I know Ali means Ant in Japanese but since only crazy alpha creatures, I supposed I called ants, will always use or follow people's style like "detective oo7" where it should be "007" instead.
Ideas ?
 
  • #5
Did anyone understand what she just said?
 
  • #6
apparently anaylsing both your nickname and your post..

hey, you're still alive! Must be ok then lol
 
  • #7
lol, she lost me w/ the alpha animals. anywho, I'm just afraid of being mutated or something, but it was just in a gel, so i guess its all good. Thx a lot for the advice you guys.
 
  • #8
Probably nothing will happen. Skin on hands is relatively thick and has high stratum corneum. Potential genotoxic effect is not relevant in case of dead desquamating cells. I am sure You have already washed it with soap and warm water, don't worry

Probably You have seen this:
http://www.ehs.washington.edu/updates/TipsEthidium.htm

Auiam
 
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  • #9
Ali00 said:
lol, she lost me w/ the alpha animals. anywho, I'm just afraid of being mutated or something, but it was just in a gel, so i guess its all good. Thx a lot for the advice you guys.
I think the above link's *personal protection* is what you should read more carefully. :wink:
 
  • #10
how would someone know whether they had been contaminated with ethidium bromide. what would happen to the skin?
 
  • #11
does anyone know? please tell me
 
  • #12
Ethidium bromide binds to DNA. You use it in gels to label the DNA (it will fluoresce under UV light). So, the danger is if you expose yourself that you will either kill cells by binding up the DNA or mutate them. Nothing would be immediately obvious about the exposure to skin, but if exposed in large amounts, it is toxic. Just always wear gloves when handling ethidium bromide or gel apparati that has been used with ethidium bromide (just to be extra careful in our lab, we even keep a separate flask just for making gels in case there is any ethidium bromide residue on it, we all know to wear gloves to touch that one, even if it should be clean).
 
  • #13
thx moonbear I'm just a little shaken after working with it so much. i always have gloves on but I'm not sure if my skin had ever been exposed to it. :(
 
  • #14
Don't worry if you've been wearing gloves, just remember to consider things contaminated if you're not the only person dealing with equipment.
 

1. What is Ethidium Bromide and how is it used in gel electrophoresis?

Ethidium Bromide is a fluorescent dye commonly used in gel electrophoresis to visualize DNA fragments. It binds to DNA molecules and can be detected under UV light, allowing for the visualization of DNA bands on the gel.

2. Is Ethidium Bromide safe to use in the laboratory?

Ethidium Bromide is considered a mutagen and should be handled with caution in the laboratory. It is important to wear protective gear, such as gloves and a lab coat, when handling the dye. Proper disposal methods should also be followed to avoid potential environmental hazards.

3. Can Ethidium Bromide affect the results of my gel electrophoresis?

Ethidium Bromide can potentially affect the migration of DNA fragments on a gel, leading to inaccurate results. It is important to use the dye in the correct concentration and to properly stain and destain the gel to avoid any interference with the results.

4. How long should I stain my gel with Ethidium Bromide?

The staining time for Ethidium Bromide can vary depending on the concentration of the dye, but typically ranges from 15-30 minutes. It is important to not over-stain the gel, as this can lead to excessive background fluorescence and make it difficult to interpret the results.

5. Are there any alternatives to using Ethidium Bromide in gel electrophoresis?

There are alternative dyes and methods for visualizing DNA on a gel, such as using SYBR Green or silver staining. Some laboratories have also switched to using non-toxic dyes, such as GelRed or GelGreen, as a safer alternative to Ethidium Bromide. It is important to carefully consider the needs and safety protocols of your laboratory when choosing a dye for gel electrophoresis.

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