SPI-Chem™ Osmium Tetroxide
Recommended procedures for the safe use of osmium tetroxide for electron
microscopy applications.
Great care must be taken in the handling of osmium tetroxide just as
would be the case for all fixatives. Handle only in a fume hood in good
working order and with good ventilation. Absolutely in no circumstances
should one ever inhale the vapor. Osmium tetroxide will sublime quite
readily at room temperature. Be sure to become familiar with the
MSDS sheet for osmium tetroxide.
Concentrations in air as low as 10-7 g/m3
can cause lung congestion, skin damage, or eye damage. Exposure to osmium
tetroxide should not exceed 0.0016 mg/m3
(8-hour time weighted average - 40-hour work week).
Source: Los Alamos National Laboratory, US Department of Energy.
We also recommend the use of the
SPI Supplies® brand of ampoule breaker. While it is
certainly possible to break pre-scored glass ampoules without them, their
use does add an extra element of safety and it is for that reason that the
nominal additional cost associated with their use is highly recommended.
Osmium tetroxide has a relatively low melting point and sublimes readily at
atmospheric pressure. In other words, within the ampoule, and depending on
temperature, the compound is constantly subliming and recrystallizing. And
under some circumstances, the osmium tetroxide crystals can develop some
amount of adhesion and therefore, are not easily removed. If this is the
case, and the crystals are adhering to the glass, the entire ampoule
should be put into liquid nitrogen for a few minutes, while being held with
one of the
SPI Supplies® brand of ceramic tweezers. We would
recommend SPI #OVSSM-XD, which is also the least expensive ceramic tweezer.
And when this is done, the crystals will lose their adhesion to the wall
of the glass ampoule, which can then be shaken or tapped down to one end
of the ampoule.
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Monday March 22, 2010
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