Hi!
Does anyone have experience with expired plastic ware in the lab, especially pipette tips??? I know sterility might become an issue, but one can always autoclave. But I also know plastic degrades over time, and plasticizers can leach to the surface of various types of plastic.
How long after expiry date would you trust your tips/tubes, for applications such as PCR or DNA purification? Months? Years?
Or to use for less finicky processes, like to load electrophoresis gels?
I work in a community lab and we don't have big budgets, so we have the possibility to buy expired disposables at a discount online...but it's only a real deal if we can actually use it! ;) We do not always know the conditions they were kept in either, and I know this also plays a role in plastic conservation. But let's assume lab condition for this question!
Thanks for your input!!
Cheers
Helene
Unless you are manufacturing products meant to be used in humans (in which case QA regulations may require otherwise), I don't see any reason for setting an expiration date for plastic disposables, if the packaging is intact. Indeed, discarding them sounds like a useless waste. If you are not sure, you can always order a small batch and check whether it suits your needs. But I would bet it will.
Dear Helene, I have an experience with expired plastic ware in lab not only in DNA purification. If stored in dark and dry place with a room temperature about +20 it will ok during some years. I have en experience with Axygen and Sarstedt tips and tubes. Our lab make centralized, big and rare purchacing once a year or once in 2 years. Some times we saved a little bit lab ware during two years after date expired.
Well, for anyone who follows, both the expired tips and PCR tubes worked perfectly well, even though they were more than 3 years after their marketed expiry date :)
Thanks for all those who answered!!
Cheers
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Chemistry