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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] ether for anesthetizing fruit flies
Date: Wednesday, February 5, 2020 at 10:45:22 AM
Author: Margaret Rakas <mrakas**At_Symbol_Here**SMITH.EDU> 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] ether for anesthetizing fruit flies
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2020 16:02:13 +0000
Author: Monona Rossol

From: Monona Rossol <0000030664c37427-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] ether for anesthetizing fruit flies
Date: Wed, 5 Feb 2020 15:57:15 +0000
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 1153679074.895746.1580918235350**At_Symbol_Here**mail.yahoo.com
In-Reply-To


When I was in school, we took our little vial full of fruit flies in one hand and a little strip of orange or lemon rind in the other, a lab mate opened the vial, we bent the rind so some of the oil went into the vial and quick closed it.  It would be illegal today because d-limonene is an EPA  registered fly killer.    Monona


-----Original Message-----
From: Janet Baum <baum.janet**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Sent: Wed, Feb 5, 2020 10:05 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] ether for anesthetizing fruit flies

Dear Ellen, Benches designed with narrow-slot exhaust mounted on the back edge of the bench may be one option to carry ether fumes away from students' breathing zone, as well as maintaining a clear benchtop for the experiment. This method does not fully contain those fumes. What is the exposure limit for students using ether in this situation?  

Another option is to use small, see-through plastic chambers with partially open front to bettrr contain the ether source and fruit flies. These chambers are exhausted at the rear of the chamber. This may require several chambers to serve 12-14 students, if students can share use of chambers. Flow Sciences Inc. manufacture many varieties & sizes of benchtop, movable, ventilated chambers.  This option offers better fume containment. 

I have photos of both options that I can send you, if you are interested. 

A greater concern in a teaching laboratory is fire or explosion, if ether container or fumes ignite.  I have seen the aftermath of ether fires & an explosion. The risk of using ether in a teaching lab may outweigh the convenience of using it.  Chilling fruit flies may be a safer, less risky solution.

Janet Baum, Program Co-Director, Instructor
T.H. Chan School of Public Health,
Harvard University. Boston, MA

On Tue, Feb 4, 2020, 6:09 PM Ellen M. Sweet <ems325**At_Symbol_Here**cornell.edu wrote:
Hi everyone,
We are looking to renovate a Genetics teaching lab that has the students using ethyl ether to put fruit flies asleep. This is a common method of doing this, put certainly has its drawbacks when you consider the ventilation strategy (ether vapor is very heavy).
I'm wondering if anyone has been successful in having 12-14 student stations using this chemical in a teaching setting (on the bench) and keeping the exposures and smell down? Keeping in mind that fruit flies will get sucked up into local exhaust if they are too close!-
In addition to floor level exhaust diffusers, what else would you recommend and how many air exchanges for the room?
 
Thanks!
Ellen
 
P.S. I'm pushing for CO2, but may not get what I want.
 
 
Ellen Sweet
Laboratory Ventilation Specialist
Department of Environmental Health and Safety, Cornell University
American Chemical Society, Division of Chemical Health and Safety
315-730-8896
 
 
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