3 replies to this topic

[Bassaml7]

Hi,

I am using a UV gel documentation system to visualize ethidium bromide-stained DNA. For some reason I need to look directly at the gel while being exposed to UV ( for a short period of course ) . For that , I need UV resistant goggles, but we don't currently have them in the lab because we used to rely on the camera attached to the system . However , we do have plastic glasses for protection against chemicals etc . I am thinking that since Plastic ( Polycarbonate )  is known to be opaque to UV so I can use them instead. I've done a little experiment to support my assumption. I actually managed to put the glasses in the light path of a UV spectrophotometer, closed the lid and read the absorption at 260nm and it was infinity.

So what would you think?

Edited by Bassaml7, 01 January 2010 - 02:26 AM.

[Gerard]

Bad Idea, you should protect your eyes from the UV. Something like glasses used for in the snow can help you.

[pDNA]

should be okay! The polycarbonate lens should shield your eyes from the UV!

To my point of view cutting bands from a agarose gel is not that big health threat ...you need to expose your eyes for a long time to the UV to irridate them (but that does not mean to disobey safety precautions).

Regards,
p

[phage434]

Most UV transilluminators expose at 305 nm, which is where you need to measure absorbance.  Some expose at 365 nm or 254 nm, but those are less common.