Bone DNA Extraction at SHSU with the DCH2 from Sentry Air

Students at the Forensic Science Department of Sam Houston State University prepare bone samples for bone DNA extraction safely in the Deluxe Ductless Fume Hood.

In 2016, our VP of Sales and Marketing, Omar Ilsever, donated a 30” Ductless Fume Hood to the Forensic Science Department at the Sam Houston State University (link to old blog). This hood gave them 9 years of reliable service and was still working perfectly, but we decided to upgrade their department to our improved ductless fume hood — the Deluxe Ductless Fume Hood or DCH2. As an alumnus of SHSU, Omar enjoys giving back to his former school and encouraging current students to safeguard their respiratory health.

At the Forensic Department, students utilize this hood to conduct DNA extraction from bone samples. DNA extraction from bone samples requires cleaning the sample with ethanol and/or bleach then cutting or grinding the bone samples into dust. Using these chemicals and working with biological dusts poses respiratory hazards. Inhaled bone dust can cause respiratory irritations or infections while chemical fumes can cause other detrimental side effects. The Deluxe Ductless Fume Hood allows students to safely process bone samples into dust, protecting them from inhaling bone dust and helping to prevent laboratory cross-contamination. If biological dust from bone samples becomes airborne, other lab samples can become contaminated, affecting the DNA results. The ductless design of this unit allows it to be moved to a different location easily and offers simple installation. The easy-to-use control panel of the DCH2 unit enables students to learn quickly how to use a fume hood and properly monitor the system.

Health Hazards of DNA Extraction from Bones

Chemical Fumes

Forensic students clean the sample using ethanol or bleach to prepare the bones for DNA extraction. Exposure to ethanol or bleach fumes can cause harmful side effects and should be minimized. Ethyl alcohol, aka ethanol, vapors can cause nose irritation, headaches, drowsiness, weakness, exhaustion, or anemia and possibly cause damage to the liver and reproductive system (CDC 2019). The OSHA PEL for ethyl alcohol is 1,000 ppm (CDC 2019). For bleach (listed as chlorine), inhalation can cause lung irritation, coughing, buildup of fluid in lungs, or even result in a medical emergency with severe shortness of breath (CDC 2019b). The OSHA PEL is 1 ppm while NIOSH recommends 0.5 ppm for a ceiling or 15-minute exposure (CDC 2019b). Inhalation of either fume should be minimized to reduce the chance of developing health side effects.

Bone Dust

Bone DNA extraction engineering controls

A Forensic Science student from SHSU cutting a bone sample under the Deluxe Ductless Fume Hood (DCH2).

After cleaning the sample, the forensic students cut or grind the bone sample into powder. Inhalation of bone dust can cause respiratory irritation and possibly lead to an infection (Pluim 2018). Bone dust can contain pathogens and expose the operator to different bacteria and viruses (Pluim 2018).

About the Deluxe Ductless Fume Hood (DCH2)

The Deluxe Ductless Fume Hood (DCH2) offers many upgraded features including the user-friendly control panel to adjust the fan and light, monitor the filter’s static pressure, and the runtime.

The Deluxe Ductless Fume Hood (DCH2) utilizes a powerful fan to draw chemical fumes and bone dust into the filtration chamber. For this application, the DCH2 was fitted with a HEPA filter and an Activated Carbon filter to capture both fumes and particulate. After filtering, the system releases the air back into the surrounding room, creating a recirculating airflow pattern. This upgraded unit offers many technical features to help make the hood easier to operate and maintain. The DCH2 has a user-friendly control panel offering adjustable fan and light controls, a digital magnehelic gauge, and an hour counter. The digital magnehelic gauge monitors the saturation of the HEPA filter by measuring the filter’s static pressure. The digital hour counter allows the operator to reset the time to help with filter change periods and keep a consistent maintenance schedule.

Benefits:

• Adjustable bright LED light
• Variable speed fan control
• Digital display with filter static pressure and hour counter
• Can use a variety of filters including HEPA, ULPA, ASHRAE, Activated Carbon, and specialty blended filter media (acid gas, mercury, aldehyde, and ammonia).
• Dual filter configuration available to capture both particulate and fumes.
• Made in the USA
• Short Lead time – available to ship in 5 business days standard or 1-2 business days (with expedite fee)

Contact us today for a FREE chemical assessment of your lab!

Let us know what chemicals your lab uses, how you use the chemicals, and how often to receive an expert recommendation for the optimal filter type.

Related Blogs

2016 SHSU blog – University utilizes ductless containment hood for bone DNA extraction – https://www.sentryair.com/blog/product-review/fume-hoods/ductless-fume-hood/university-utilizes-ductless-containment-hood-for-bone-dna-extraction/

Chip-off Forensics Respiratory Hazards – https://www.sentryair.com/blog/product-review/fume-hoods/ductless-fume-hood/chip-off-forensics-respiratory-hazards/

Fume & Particulate Control for Forensics 3D Printing – https://www.sentryair.com/blog/industry-applications/3d-printing/forensics-3d-printing/

Utilizing Specialty-Blended Activated Carbon Filters to Optimize Chemical Fume Adsorption – https://www.sentryair.com/blog/filters/specialty-blended-activated-carbon-filters/

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, October 30). CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards – Chlorine. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0115.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019b, October 30). CDC – NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards – ethyl alcohol. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npgd0262.html

Pluim, J. M. E., Jimenez-Bou, L., Gerretsen, R. R. R., & Loeve, A. J. (2018). Aerosol production during autopsies: The risk of sawing in bone. Forensic science international, 289, 260–267. Retrieved from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7126880/

Bone DNA Extraction at the Sam Houston State University Forensic Science Department Part II