13 replies to this topic

[MicroMycoMan]

Considering that UV light is used to sanitize things, I was thinking about trying to use a powerful UV lamp I have laying around to illuminate my still air box. 

 

Think it would be helpful in preventing contamination while messing with agar or doing gtg transfers? would it be harmful to cultures or spores? 

 

-MMM

[shiftingshadows]

discussed many times on more than one forum:

 

1) it can blind etc

 

2) it is unnecessary

 

3) it is used in ducts where there is no possibility of. seeing it

 

4) when used in a lab, or duct it must be carefully configured to match power of bulb, rate & volume of air flow, & distances, / time of exposure ... and attention to safety issues, etc.

 

5) conclusion your eyes and skin are not worth messing with it; likewise every so often someone thinks they thought of ozone for the first time,

again if one has to ask, generally one should not mess with it.

 

6) there are plenty of other factors to experiment with in mycology

[Baphom3t]

I don't know about all that noise from the previous response but if you want a clean SAB and work space, from my experience, just use ISO and rub the inside of your SAB and work space down place the SAB in the area you are going to work and let it all dry.
Problem solved.
You can also make a bleach sanitation mix to use behind the ISO rub down if you choose, but I never used it.
If it's that much for you, invest in a flow hood to work with agar and G2G.
If you still have issues at that point you should look at your sterility technique and make adjustments accordingly.
That's just my humble opinion.

 

[sandman]

UV light will damage the cultures DNA and cause mutations and cell death.

 

There is no need to do anything in a still air box but have still air. You don't even need to wipe the box down any more than a general cleanliness because you are not rubbing the cultures on the walls.

[Sidestreet]

 

You can also make a bleach sanitation mix to use behind the ISO rub down if you choose, but I never used it.

 

I recently learned that ISO and bleach make toxic gas.  I used the combination for a long time with no ill effects, but now I just use ISO and it seems to work fine.

 

Hey Sandman!

[MushLuvR]

70% ISO.... Yo.  Sanitizing and Still Air manipulation is the Way for us lowly home growers to have fun without breaking the Bank.  I can tell you from experience, don't do Agar work by a window, a bathroom sink, or any sink for that matter.  I've done SAB work all throughout my house, and now I use the same spot every time with minimal issues (My kitchen Table).  Figure out where... and WHAT works for you and stick to that same routine over and over.  Lather, Rinse, and Repeat.

 

MushL

[shiftingshadows]

 

 

You can also make a bleach sanitation mix to use behind the ISO rub down if you choose, but I never used it.

 

I recently learned that ISO and bleach make toxic gas.  I used the combination for a long time with no ill effects, but now I just use ISO and it seems to work fine.

 

Hey Sandman!

 

An ammonia and bleach mixture is very dangerous

https://duckduckgo.c...a=b&t=hr&ia=web

 

food grade peroxide at 35% must also be treated with respect

and also

horticultural vinegar at 30%

https://duckduckgo.c...a=b&t=hr&ia=web

 

https://duckduckgo.c...a=b&t=hr&ia=web

 

hence brewers use safer disinfectants

 

https://mycotopia.ne...aphor-star-san/

[bezevo]

i have used lots star san for brewing  sanitation , very safe easy to work with  , comes concintrated delute to desired strenngth very safe .

[MicroMycoMan]

Thanks guys! I miss the homemade flow hood I made before selling my house.. :( recreating it is not feasible given my current living situation.

I was just remembering my trich outbreak at the place I was staying after my divorce and nothing I did seemed to work out for long. Maybe just bad juju.....

 

 

This was exactly my concern with UV sterilization.

 

UV light will damage the cultures DNA and cause mutations and cell death.

 

I've got some 90-99% ISO I got for resin 3d printing that I'll use in the SAB for now.

 

Getting geared up for a grow so look for a new grow log coming soon! 

 

Planning to wait till the end to summarize unless something goes wrong, but I'll be starting from agar and spawning grain to bulk. 

 

Send good vibes!

 

-MMM 

[shiftingshadows]

70% is strangely actually better, someone can explain & reference it

 

or read some of the links here

 

https://duckduckgo.c...ity&t=h_&ia=web

[Juthro]

What he said ^^

 

IIRC it has to do with evaporation rates.  The 90% evaps off enough faster that there is less contact time, 70% is still strong enough to kill the baddies, but due to higher water content isn't quite as volatile, and stays on the surface longer.

 

Though while 70% is more effective/efficient, I think for our purposes it's not going to make much of a difference, though that is just my opinion.

[Microbe]

70% is strangely actually better, someone can explain & reference it

or read some of the links here

https://duckduckgo.c...ity&t=h_&ia=web

Simple terms the higher water content in 70% ISO allows time for the denaturing of proteins in the vegetative cell wall. If evaporated to quickly, not only does denaturing process stop, but the bacterium will immediately begin to create a protective layer protecting it from more ISO.

However, even 50% ISO kills most bacteria in as little as 10 seconds. If you going to hit them with the 90, one needs to saturate the surface enough so the ISO remains in contact for seconds. I like for my ISO to sit on surfaces for 1 minute.

[Microbe]

UV light is a bit too much for a SAB but they are used in laboratories around the world. I have all the components to install one in my air plenum of my flow hood for a secondary measure, but have not got around to installing it. Everyone is right about one thing, you don't work under or in front of it. You turn it on about an hour before you want to work and then turn it off.

[bezevo]

i run ozone generators in my lab eeerrr i mean  "hobby room " for cpl hours before i work then wait for it to dissipate before running room hepa and laminar .all before doing any work so it won't kill me or  cultures .....exaggerating for comic effect . it's not good for my lungs or the cultures  . but kills bacteria , mold , mold spores ect .lurking about . this is no substitute for  normal  good cleaning . and a shower and clean -  out of the dryer clothing are all good ideas... all over kill maybe but error on side of caution

.BE SAFE  using ozone , bleach ,flammable cleaners like alcohol and Lysol , unless .you want make an impressive giant fire ball vid for you tube when you flame a needle

 

.i also  I  rotate threw each room in house and treat with ozone every month or two , i remove plants and pets from each room to be treated . an insurance co will charge you  hundreds of  per hour ,  to have your house treated for odors with ozone after a fire or grandma dies and  lingers for week or two  , . but you can buy a commercial quality ozone generator on amazon for less than $100 . just don't run it in a room with live pets , house plants, fungus plants or cultures or you !

 

ok be safe have fun

 

BEZ