Dry Ice Hazard

[DAVID F. BISHOP]

>Dinakar states:
>Dry ice is not a hazard but it can affect the pH of the media and other things
>stored in that walk-in storage place. I have observed this in our place. Anyway
>it does not remain that long at -20 C.

>Melissa Melan comments:
>We "keep" our dry ice in a -80 chest freezer.  It lasts a while but not
>indefinitely and so the CO2 tends to collect down in the bottom of the freezer.
>Fortunately we don't keep cell culture samples in there (i.e. no pH worries)
>but if you don't remember to hold your breath when reaching for something down
>in the bottom of the freezer....you could be in for a suffocating suprise.


Just to emphasize the deadly hazard of CO2:  In our Division we have strongly
discouraged storing CO2 in walk-in freezers or coldrooms.  If there is no
circulation, an unsuspecting person could be suffocated by the oderless,
accumulated CO2 from the evaporating dry ice.  We have a small, well-insulated,
storage chest where dry ice from our radioisotope shipments, etc is stored.
This supplements and reduces our need for our regular shipments of dry ice
from a comercial vender.

David Bishop                             | EMail:Internet:Bishop at msvax.mssm.edu
Div. of Medical and Molecular Genetics   |         Bitnet:Bishop at msrcvax
Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1203 | Phone: (212) 241-6946
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