Take safety precautions when using RNA extraction kits
Many labs use RNA extraction kits to isolate total RNA from a wide variety of samples, including animal and plant cells and tissue, bacteria, and yeast. While the kits are low hazard on their own, it’s important to remember that mixing incompatible chemicals can produce high hazard by-products and gases. There were incidents that researchers mixed bleach with RNA extraction kit waste. These kits contain guanidine salts (e.g. guanidine thiocyanate and guanidine hydrochloride) that may produce hazardous gases when combined with bleach (sodium hypochlorite) and/or strong acids.
We would like to bring your attention to the following safety steps when working with RNA extractions kits:
- As biological materials are already inactivated by Trizol and other cell-lysis related reagents (i.e. DNAzol, RNAzol or Tri-reagent, etc), there is NO need to decontaminate them with bleach. Dispose this kind of chemical-containing biological waste as chemical waste directly.
- The additional step using bleach is dangerous, unnecessary practice. Trizol and related chemical reagents contain guanidine hydrochloride or other acidic solutions such as those found in Qiagen kits are not compatible with bleach.
- When working with Trizol and/or similar chemical reagents while purifying nucleic acids, always work in a chemical fume hood and wear lab coat, disposable gloves and eye protection.
- Always read the SDS sheet for a chemical/user guide for a kit. There is a section for incompatible chemicals in SDS sheets.
- Consult with the EHS for more information.
DO NOT MIX BLEACH WITH TRIZOL OR OTHER INCOMPATIBLE CHEMICALS.
If any injury occurs, immediately contact the Research Occupational Health (ROHP) by calling 617-414-7647.
To contact EHS, call 617-353-4094 at the Charles River Campus and 617-638-8830 at the Boston University Medical Campus.
Resources about RNA extraction kits are available at the following sites: