What are the precautions of UV Transilluminator?
Proper protective equipment such as gloves, faceshields, safety glasses and lab coats must be worn when working with transilluminators. See EHRS's Ultraviolet Radiation Laboratory Safety Fact Sheet for more information on how to safety work with devices that produce UV radiation.
Tightly woven clothing that covers much of the body (especially neck) and gloves (with no gap between the cuff and the glove) should be worn at all times. A polycarbonate face shield and/or eyeglasses (wrap around lens) with Z87 marking (ANSI Z87. 1 UV certification) must be worn to protect the eyes and face.
Exposure to UV- B and UV-C can cause lesions of the cornea and ultimately cause photokeratitis(PK). Eye injury can occur due to very brief exposure or with just a flash of intense UV. The severity depends on the duration, intensity and wavelength of the exposure, the effect being a maximum at a wavelength of 270 nm.
Danger to the user due to UV radiation Moderate To Serious Often When working with UV radiation, the eyes must be protected by safety goggles. A UV protection shield must be adjusted to the transilluminator. Further, please make sure a sufficient protection of your hands and forearms by appropriate clothing.
Use power supplies with safety features designed to detect electrical circuit issues (e.g., no- load, overload, sudden load changes, short circuits, etc.). Never touch the electrophoresis apparatus with your hands while the setup is running. Use a thermometer or infrared (IR) thermometer to assess the temperature.
- Do Not Burn or Tan: Avoid intentional tanning. ...
- Seek Shade: Get under cover when the sun's rays are the strongest between 10 am and 4 pm.
- Wear Protective Clothing: Wear long-sleeved shirts and pants and a wide-brimmed hat as well as UV-blocking sunglasses.
UV can be associated with adverse health effects depending on duration of exposure and the wavelength. The adverse health effects that may occur are erythema (sunburn), photokeratitis (a feeling of sand in the eyes), skin cancer, increased skin pigmentation (tanning), cataracts, and retinal burns.
Skin Safety and Health Precautions
Skin burns from high, short-term exposure to UV and skin cancer from long-term exposure can be prevented by covering exposed skin with clothing and protective equipment such as gloves and face shields.
An ultra-violet (UV) transilluminator is a standard piece of equipment used in life science laboratories for visualization of target DNAs and proteins. Sometimes referred to as a gel light box or lab light box, the UV transilluminator works by emitting high levels of UV radiation through the viewing surface.
UV-transilluminators use ultraviolet radiation (UVR) to visualize proteins, DNA, RNA, and their precursors in a gel electrophoresis procedure.
What is the purpose of using the UV box Transilluminator )?
Use of equipment generating Ultraviolet Radiation (UV)
Transilluminator boxes are used for DNA 'nicking' or to observe gels containing fluorescently stained nucleic acids, and UV crosslinkers are mainly used to crosslink DNA or RNA to membranes.
The areas of skin usually at risk are hands, eyes & face, Hands must be protected by wearing gloves with low UV transmission. Nitrile/latex gloves are suitable. Arms will be protected by wearing long sleeve lab coat but care must be taken to ensure there is no gap between cuff and glove.
The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Limit exposure to the sun during these hours, even in winter and especially at higher altitudes. Do not burn. Sunburns significantly increase the lifetime risk of developing skin cancer, especially for children.
protect skin and eyes - If screen not practical, all persons present must have adequate UV opaque PPE with all exposed areas of skin and the eyes protected. When using a transilluminator often forgotten areas are: the neck/upper chest below a face visor; and, underneath the wrist area of the forearms.
Care and Maintenance:- Cleaning UV Transilluminators:- Units. are best cleaned using warm water and a mild detergent and a soft sponge or cloth towel.
Depending on the type of sample, the UV transilluminator is operated in any of the three wavelength bands. 254, 312, and 365 nm are typical wavelengths. 312 nm are used for standard gel documentation in the gel doc system.
Exercise caution when using a microwave to melt agarose solutions. Do not use sealed containers, and beware of superheated liquids that may suddenly and unexpectedly boil. Let hot agarose solutions cool to 50°-60°C before handling, and wear insulated gloves.
| Protein Bands Too Close Together (Not Completely Resolved) | |
|---|---|
| Insufficient run time | Run gel for longer period of time. |
| Incorrect gel pore size | Use a gradient gel (higher acrylamide percentage on bottom than top) that will adequately resolve a broader size range of proteins. |
Gel electrophoresis can sometimes result in faint bands or absence of bands due to incorrect sample preparation, low protein concentration, insufficient electrophoresis conditions, or problems with gel or buffer. Click the accordions for best practices to help minimize faint bands in gel electrophoresis.
Short-wavelength UVC is the most damaging type of UV radiation. However, it is completely filtered by the atmosphere and does not reach the earth's surface.
What are the health risks of UV exposure What is the difference between UV B and UVA?
UVA rays can penetrate your skin more deeply and cause your skin cells to age prematurely. About 95 percent of the UV rays that reach the ground are UVA rays. The other 5 percent of UV rays are UVB. They have higher energy levels than UVA rays, and typically damage the outermost layers of your skin, causing sunburn.
Sunburn is a sign of short-term overexposure, while premature aging and skin cancer are side effects of prolonged UV exposure. UV exposure increases the risk of potentially blinding eye diseases if eye protection is not used. Overexposure to UV radiation can lead to serious health issues, including cancer.
- Skin cancer (melanoma and nonmelanoma)
- Premature aging and other skin damage.
- Cataracts and other eye damage.
- Immune system suppression.
The ozone layer protects us from potentially harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. CAMS monitors stratospheric ozone and provides UV forecasts based on this information.
Limit time in the midday sun. The sun's rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Limit exposure to the sun during these hours, even in winter and especially at higher altitudes.
Seasonality plays a part: May through August are typically the strongest months, UV-exposure-wise. But, as the Sun Safety Alliance states, “UV rays reach Earth every day—including wintertime. Snow can reflect 85% to 90% of the sun's UV rays.” So, lather up the SPF year round.
When bound to DNA molecules and illuminated with UV or blue light, these dye molecules fluoresce brightly. Once the gel is stained, transilluminators are used to excite the dye molecules, which allow DNA to be visualized, sized, and quantified.
- Uniform lighting design, Ultra High Contrast!
- Ultra Safe UV blocking: block 99.99% UV transmittance.
- Strong metal frame design (NO breakage of UV shield)
- UV lamps turn on quickly.
- Dual UV wavelengths: 302nm and 365nm.
- Adjustable intensity: from 100% down to 50%
Ethidium bromide is a sensitive fluorescent stain for visualizing DNA in agarose and polyacrylamide gels. It is excited with a standard 302 nm UV transilluminator and emits a red-orange signal that can be photographed with Polaroid film or with a CCD-based gel documentation system.
Depending on the type and amount of sample, the UV transilluminator is operated in any of the three wavelength bands. 254, 312, and 365 nm are typical wavelengths. 312 nm are used for standard gel documentation in the gel doc system.
What material can block UV C?
Most acrylic plastics will allow light of wavelength greater than 375 nm to pass through the material, but they will not allow UV-C wavelengths (100–290 nm) to pass through. Even very thin acrylic sheets of less than 5 millimeters (mm) do not let UV-C light penetrate.
UV transilluminators, or light boxes, are commonly used lab equipment that emit wavelengths in the actinic range. A UV transilluminator unit such as a box that encloses a UV light source with filter surface on top of the box (Figure 1). This equipment is used in biomedical research to visualize genetic material.
The Blue View Transilluminator is an illuminating base for observing fluorescently stained nucleic acid and protein gels. Using a filtered bright blue LED light source, this transilluminator excites stained gel bands resulting in light emissions in the visible light region of the spectrum.
- Turn on the UV-Vis spectrometer and allow the lamps to warm up for an appropriate period of time (around 20 min) to stabilize them.
- Fill a cuvette with the solvent for the sample and make sure the outside is clean. ...
- Place the cuvette in the spectrometer. ...
- Take a reading for the blank.
UV-Vis Spectroscopy (or Spectrophotometry) is a quantitative technique used to measure how much a chemical substance absorbs light. This is done by measuring the intensity of light that passes through a sample with respect to the intensity of light through a reference sample or blank.
For your safety, EH&S recommends: Avoid working in or around the safety cabinet when the UV light is on or avoid using the room when UV light is on. Always close the sash completely when the UV light is on. Even small opening of the sash can cause skin damage and other biological effects.
The areas of skin usually at risk are hands, eyes & face, Hands must be protected by wearing gloves with low UV transmission. Nitrile/latex gloves are suitable. Arms will be protected by wearing long sleeve lab coat but care must be taken to ensure there is no gap between cuff and glove.
Rotating employees so the same person is not always out in the sun at peak times. Using the UV Index to inform workers of the level of risk from UV radiation. Providing personal protection such as sun protective work clothing, sun protective hats, SPF 30 or higher sunscreen and sunglasses.
Ten to fifteen minutes of direct sun exposure in the early morning (before 10:00 am) or late afternoon (after 4:00 pm) can produce adequate amounts of Vitamin D to receive the health benefits listed above.
Do not leave flammable solvents or samples near the instrument. Do not leave flammable solvents or samples in the sample compartment for longer than necessary. Purge the spectrometer with clean, dry air or nitrogen. Solvents that produce HCl or HF vapors in the sample compartment may severely damage the system.
What are the hazards of UV spectrophotometer?
The potential hazards to health arise from UVR with wavelengths greater than 180nm. UVR of shorter wavelength is strongly absorbed in air. Eyes. Exposure can cause acute damage to the cornea and conjunctiva causing pain, light sensitivity and tearing.
Wear long sleeves and gloves
Nitrile gloves or work gloves can protect a worker's hands. He or she should also wear clothing made from tightly woven fabrics that covers the entire body. Because UV-C products can leave burns on the skin, it's important to make sure the proper safety guidelines are followed.
Good practices of use of the spectrophotometer
Keep the lid of the sample holder closed during the measurement process, to ensure an adequate reading. Avoid reusing disposable cuvettes. Use only quartz cuvettes, to perform analyzes below 310 nm. Avoid the use of plastic buckets, if organic solvents are used.
- Fill the cuvette with the sample. ...
- Place the cuvette in the spectrometer in the correct direction.
- Cover the cuvette to prevent any ambient light.
- Collect an absorbance spectrum by allowing the instrument to scan through different wavelengths and collect the absorbance.
The amount of light absorbed by a solution is related to the analyte concentration by the Beer–Lambert law, which is expressed as follows: A = εbc, where ε is the molar absorptivity of the analyte, b is the path length (the distance the light travels through the solution), and c is the concentration of the analyte.
- Skin cancer (melanoma and nonmelanoma)
- Premature aging and other skin damage.
- Cataracts and other eye damage.
- Immune system suppression.
Chronic skin exposure to UV radiation has been linked to premature skin aging, wrinkles and skin cancer. Eye Injury UV radiation exposure can injure the cornea, the outer protective coating of the eye. Photokeratitis is a painful inflammation of the eye caused by UV radiation-induced lesions on the cornea.
Consequently, the actual level obtained after UV disinfection is negligible and therefore it is concluded that the VOCs responsible for the residual odor after UV disinfection do not pose a health hazard to humans.
The American Lung Association states that “exposure to ozone causes a variety of adverse health effects, even at levels below the current standard.” and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says: “In order for ozone to be effective as a germicide, it must be present in a concentration far greater than that which can ...
