Ethidium bromide

[R. John Lye]

Michael Witty wrote:

> Does anyone have any medical or epidemiological data about people getting
> sick from EtBr?  Especially at the concentration we use?
>
> Before I am howled down, I once went through an interesting experience
> with a new safety officer who notice I was using sodium azide.  She
> considered it to be "poisonous" and made me do some library research
> on how to use it safely.  This is in spite of the fact that I and my
> collegues had been using the stuff at 0.02% for decades.  I found out
> that the "poisonous" sodium azide is not really good a poisoning people
> at all (I found some medical papers on accidental ingestion of the
> stuff, though it is a very bad local irritant).
>
> Can we say the same thing about EtBr ie that it is "safe" at the level we
> use it at?  Mike

A voice of sanity!  I'm afraid that all the safety nuts will be all over
you soon - look out.

John