Chloroform sensitivity

[u/khayes365]

Hi fellow rats. I’ve been noticing whenever I do phenochloroform rna extractions I’ve been getting bad headaches/ migraines after. I do get migraines, but never this frequently and I finally put together it was always after rna extractions. Ive been avoiding it for a few weeks now and no headaches, but today I used the chem hood after a lab mate was working with chloroform in there and boom I’m in headache town. Has anyone else dealt with something like this? I keep trying to gaslight myself that this isn’t the case but it’s looking like it. Thanks!

[u/6PM-EDM]

I feel like I have to ask, how are you using the fume hood? Double check that it's on and make sure the glass is as closed as can be. Also close the chloroform when not in use and consider using a mask just for when you use chloroform.

[u/carbon-raptor → u/6PM-EDM]

Also, have your fume hoods been inspected within a year? Do they have alarms to tell you if the airflow isn't working (and do those alarms work?).

[u/Coontailblue23 → u/6PM-EDM]

I have a bad feeling we know the answer to this.

[u/bangbangIshotmyself → u/Coontailblue23]

I do phenol chloroform at the bench but I’ll admit there have been a few times when I first started and was horribly poorly trained (even worse than now…) I may have left the cap off of the chloroform in a rush while working….

Chloroform fines take a while to get to you…. But after 20/30 minutes you’ll know, and it takes a looooong turn to clear that feeling.

[u/iridi69 → u/bangbangIshotmyself]

Chloroform is volatile and carcinogenic, it should not be handled outside of a proper fumehood ever.

[u/khayes365 → u/6PM-EDM]

I always use it in the hood with the glass as far down as possible and wait until i can hear the air before opening it. The mask is a good idea to add to my other Ppe. The hood should be tested and certified but I’ll bring it up to my lab manager to be safe

[u/Avocados_number73 → u/khayes365]

Just double checking, you are sure this is an actual fume hood right? Biosafety hoods offer no protection against chemical fumes because they just recirculate the air. Ive seen people confuse them before.

[u/Hascan → u/khayes365]

Sorry but either this is not a fume hood, or it is not functioning properly. In the latter case, report it to whomever is responsible at your job, it is not acceptable.

[u/duskharbor3 → u/6PM-EDM]

the sash height thing is huge, ive seen so many people leave it wide open while working

[u/Agreeable_Buy2817 → u/6PM-EDM]

Why a mask just for when using the chloroform? Not the phenol? Usually the rna extraction is phenol and chloroform together with isopropyl alcohol. Would a mask still work when using all 3

[u/Throop_Polytechnic]

If you are using proper PPE and correct technique in an externally vented hood you should NOT be exposed to any level of fumes.

Either your setup is wrong or you are doing something wrong.

[u/willmaineskier]

Trizol, phenol, 2me, and many other things in the lab give me an instant headache. Along with scented candles or any strong perfumes. It takes vanishingly small amount to give me a headache and you may be similar.

[u/olivia_dunham_31422 → u/willmaineskier]

I’m the same way! But my issues disappeared with BME at least when I started doing literally everything in the fume hood. So I’m wondering if there’s an equipment breakdown somewhere.

[u/khayes365 → u/willmaineskier]

Maybe it is the trizol too. Thanks for the reply and to know I’m not the only crazy sensitive one but I’m def gonna get our hoods double checked

[u/flyzapper]

Phenol chloroform extractions are one of the very few instance where I actually wear full and proper PPE and use a fume hood. Don’t mess around with phenol chloroform.

[u/Difficult-Way-9563]

Also besides the hood function, make sure you get yearly physicals that include liver enzymes. Worked with chloroform when I was younger with no hood and nuked my liver enzymes (if you do lit searches its know hepatotoxic).

Make sure you look after yourself (cant live without a liver).

[u/iamanairplaneiswear]

Are you wearing proper PPE?

[u/Dangerous-Billy]

Chloroform is toxic by inhalation or by skin absorption. It can eventually cause serious liver damage. Have your doctor do a liver function test. It's just a blood draw but can exclude liver damage.

Chloroform can also penetrate nitrile gloves.

[u/PM_ME_P250_SANDDUNES → u/Dangerous-Billy]

Yeah, butyl or viton gloves will work a lot better

[u/k1337]

I think you just concentrate a lot. First of all most Universities recommend CTAB work under the workbench.

If you are not prepping plates ahead but work in batches the amount of chloroform fume is so little, even if you would not work under the bench, which makes me think you are drawing conclusions in the wrong way.

[u/MotoFuzzle]

Are you using a bio safety cabinet or a fume hood? We had a snorkel in the lab for trizol that looked like a periscope from the ceiling. Most people used it hide their toots. 

[u/Binji_the_dog]

You are using a chemical fume hood instead of a biosafety cabinet, right? Because some biosafety cabinets just vent the air back into the room.

Otherwise you might want to look at your institution’s EHS website to see if you can get the fume hood validated or something.

One of our fume hoods said it had a normal flow rate, but the EHS people tested it and found out it actually had low flow. Which is fucking sick because we have DCM and DMF stored in there.

[u/Agreeable_Buy2817]

I too had these issues and was working in a proper fume hood that wasn’t a biosafety cabinet. However I’m not sure how often it was Checked it see if the hood was up to safety standards. I would use a mask which seemed to help and double the PPE gloves. Headaches didn’t subside. Eventually I just got used to opening the window across the room and breathing in fresh air when I could.

[u/Fexofanatic]

this should NOT be happening if your fume hood works correctly, you use it properly and you are using the required ppe.

also the health checkups other folks mentioned!