Gayle:
  Granted about the expense but if you work in a large hospital (like the one I was working in when I developed the procedure) there is not that much expense added because we incinerated our own materials and adding mineral oil to the paraffin was nothing of consideration.
  Another thing is incinerating a flammable substance like alcohols or xylene or its substitutes because that cannot be done readily in most facilities, although in this sense I was able also to convince the service department to mix the fuel they used to run the incinerator with used alcohols and xylene and at the end we had to dispose (using an outside company) of only formalin.
  So the expense issue is more relative to the size of the facility than to the procedure itself.
  René J.

Gayle Callis  wrote:
  Rene,

Actually, I have read the publication in J of Histotechnology. However, 
the EXPENSE of collecting and incineration CJD contaminated material 
remains the same regardless of being a solid mass or liquid disposal. The 
point is the EXPENSE "the powers that be" are trying to avoid with 
contaminated xylene. At least, that is how I read Phil's initial 
inquiry. Unfortunately, this expense remains no matter what they use to 
replace xylene although consolidation of paraffin and the oil may reduce 
the overall amount to be carried away. They need to be prepared to pay for 
hauling it away.

If we are going to be picky about spelling, "minaral" was just a typing 
error, correct?

Gayle Callis HTL, HT, MT(ASCP)
Research Histopathology Supervisor
Veterinary Molecular Biology
Montana State University
Bozeman MT 59717

Gayle:
It is evident that you have not read the procedure!
Used minaral oil (= paraffin oil = paraffin of low molecular weight) is 
MIXED with the used paraffin and together form a solid mass to be 
incinerated after cooling.
By the way, it is René (male, just one "e")
René J.

Gayle Callis wrote:
Phil and Renee,

If the solvents i.e. alcohols, xylene or xylene substitutes need to be
collected for incineration after CJD cases, wouldn't mineral oil also need
to be collected and disposed of in the same way? The expense of collection
will still be there no matter what the powers that be do not like to
do. Mineral oil may be less toxic compared to xylene but after
contact.contamination with CJD or any other other prion diseased
tissues, it's status changes back to being a collectable solvent.

We work with prion diseased animal tissues using xylene substitutes (they
work very well for processing and staining) and we are REQUIRED to collect
these for incineration.



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