To my knowledge NO xylene substitute is safe for sewer disposal.

We use the Leica coverslipper also.  We use Clear-Rite 3  on  our stainer
(also Leica), but we have a container off of the stainer to put the slides
in before they go on the coverslipper.  It is a mixture of about 2/3 xylene
and 1/3 Clear-Rite 3.  We have had success with this.  We shake the excess
clearing agent off of the slides before they go on the coverslipper.  Your
problem sounds like excess clearant that is evaporating and causing the air
bubbles.

Jennifer MacDonald

> ----------
> From: 	Einfalt, Ginny[SMTP:GEINFALT@virtua.org]
> Sent: 	Tuesday, September 12, 2000 4:06 PM
> To: 	'histonet@pathology.swmed.edu'
> Subject: 	Xylene/Xylene Substitutes
>
> Hello all,
>      We have a Leica Coverslipper (which we love), but occasionally we run
> into a problem with air bubbles that appear days later, more like too
> little
> mounting media or not wet enough at the start.  We know this is not the
> problem.  Each shift checks the mounting media regulator, the coverglass
> are
> premium grade, it can't be the mounting media type because it doesn't
> happen
> sometimes for months, so I'm thinking it must have something to do with
> the
> xylene.  We don't recycle so I have to assume the xylene is pure.  We
> dehydrate with 1 95, 4 absolutes, and 4 xylenes, 1 minute each.  We do
> process using a xylene substitute, but we had too many complaints from the
> pathologists and too many problems with the Immuno's using the substitute
> in
> the staining sequence so we use the xylene substitute for processing only.
> I was thinking that perhaps when the stainer was refreshed that someone
> may
> have filled one or more of the dehydrating dishes with xylene substitute
> instead of xylene (similar bottles), some dishes being xylene, some
> substitute.  Which substitutes are more miscible with xylene if they were
> to
> get mixed, and would those products have to be hauled away or be safe for
> sewer disposal?
>
> Thanks for your help!
> Ginny Einfalt
> geinfalt@virtua.org
>
>