Lab techs wore nitrile gloves to protect themselves, and to prevent contamination of samples. All lab waste was disposed of properly, through decontamination procedures (i.e. autoclave, disinfectant, etc.) or hazardous waste disposal.
We followed the strict rule to not eat and drink in the lab. Food was always left on the shelf in front of the lab to prevent the accidental ingestion of chemicals.
Any team members wearing shorts, or working with dangerous materials, wore lab coats. This protected them against accidental chemical spills.
The lab sub-team leader, Keshava, taught team members how to properly use the equipment. He had participated in iGEM on the 2017 Cadets2Vets team, so he was a great resource to learn about the safety features of lab tools!
Safe Lab Work
The most significant hazard in our project was the use of chemicals containing arsenic.
Pure arsenic is not only toxic to humans, but it can also be highly toxic to aquatic life, with lasting environmental and ecological effects. Sigma Aldrich warns that arsenic may also cause cancer. To work more safely, we used sodium arsenate and sodium arsenite. They are the inorganic derivatives of arsenic and have been shown to be significantly less toxic than pure arsenic.
When using sodium arsenate/sodium arsenite, we engaged in a series of stringent safety practices. Safety glasses were worn to protect eyes. For hand protection, our team wore nitrile gloves equal to, or exceeding the required layer thickness (0.11mm). Contaminated gloves were disposed of with proper glove removal technique (without touching glove's outer surface). To protect the body, our team wore lab coats during all arsenic-related experiments. We considered the use of air-purifying respirators but deemed this precaution unnecessary as we used a biosafety cabinet when working with sodium arsenate/sodium arsenite. Arsenic waste solutions and powders did not enter drains or any location outside the lab.
