It depends on the tap water.
Miami tap water is a dilute solution of calcium carbonate and calcium
chloride.
Tel-Aviv tap water is a dilute solution of copper (II) carbonate.
Philadelphia tap water is a dilute solution of sodium nitrite and
perchloroethylene.
Almost all tap water contains chlorine.
If it's really important to be able to use it, do a test run of the
immunostaining with tap water buffer rinses.  If it doesn't work, try
boiling the tap water to get rid of the chlorine and perchloroethylene.  If
the immunostaining doesn't work with boiled tap water, that town's water
can't be used.


Allen A. Smith, Ph.D.
Barry University
School of Graduate Medical Sciences
    Podiatric Medicine and Surgery
Miami Shores, Florida  33161-6695 

-----Original Message-----
From: Gayle Callis [mailto:uvsgc@montana.edu]
Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 3:22 PM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Tap water for IHC rinse buffers


In helping set up a wet workshop, do you think it would harm the
immunostaining if tap water (in a pinch!) is substituted for distilled
water to make up TRIS buffers.  A concentrated stock TRIS buffer would be
diluted with the tap water to obtain working buffer.   

If tap water can be used, it would save time, money and hauling a large
amount of distilled water.

I presume one problem would be chlorine content and pH changes.  

Has anyone tried this?  What were the results?  If you tried this, did you
ever test pH of water before making up buffer?  

Fingers crossed, waiting for a positive answer on using tap water!! 

   


Gayle Callis
MT,HT,HTL(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology - Marsh Lab
Montana State University - Bozeman
19th and Lincoln St
Bozeman MT 59717-3610

406 994-6367 (voice mail)
406 994-4303 (FAX)

email: UVSGC@montana.edu