sterilising and stench
Posted: 15 Jun 2020, 10:59
Hi Techies,
I had an interesting experience when using our old pressure cooker last week.
I was sterilising bottles of deionised water for an upcoming prac.
The pressure cooker contained water, 6 x 250 ml duran bottles containing water, the blue lids loosely on the bottles.
Also contained a small strip of autolave tape and a sterility indicator strip.
2/3 of the way through the process of sterilising along with the steam coming out there was also a stench which immediately gave me a head ache and made me feel sick.
Never had this happen before.
Trying to work out the source of the stench.
Wouldn't be the glass bottle or the water.
I think it was either the autoclave tape ( a new roll from livingstone although I have had it since 2012 - does it go off?)
or one of the blue plastic lids was discoloured - but it is designed for the pressure and temperature encountered.
Has anyone had a similar experience?
I use the pressure cooker mainly for making up agar and pouring plates.
I also have a steroclave which I use for sterilising inoculated agar plates. Haven't had stench problems when using it.
The pressure cooker is quicker ,that is whyI use it for the plates, the steroclave is larger and why I use it for the contaminated plates etc.
Thanks
I had an interesting experience when using our old pressure cooker last week.
I was sterilising bottles of deionised water for an upcoming prac.
The pressure cooker contained water, 6 x 250 ml duran bottles containing water, the blue lids loosely on the bottles.
Also contained a small strip of autolave tape and a sterility indicator strip.
2/3 of the way through the process of sterilising along with the steam coming out there was also a stench which immediately gave me a head ache and made me feel sick.
Never had this happen before.
Trying to work out the source of the stench.
Wouldn't be the glass bottle or the water.
I think it was either the autoclave tape ( a new roll from livingstone although I have had it since 2012 - does it go off?)
or one of the blue plastic lids was discoloured - but it is designed for the pressure and temperature encountered.
Has anyone had a similar experience?
I use the pressure cooker mainly for making up agar and pouring plates.
I also have a steroclave which I use for sterilising inoculated agar plates. Haven't had stench problems when using it.
The pressure cooker is quicker ,that is whyI use it for the plates, the steroclave is larger and why I use it for the contaminated plates etc.
Thanks