RE: Paraformaldehyde fixative

Albert D Donnenberg, PhD (donnal@novell1.dept-med.pitt.edu)
Tue, 30 Apr 1996 19:22:25 EST5EDT

> From: kukuruga%kasle1.dnet.wayne.edu@rocdec.roc.wayne.edu
> Date: Tue, 30 Apr 1996 07:49:06 -0400
> To: Cytometry Mailing List <cytometry@flowcyt.cyto.purdue.edu>
> Subject: RE: Paraformaldehyde fixative

> Think about formalin. . .

This issue comes up from time to time. Flow lore has it that
paraformaldehyde is rapidly converted to formaldehyde once it is in
solution. Lore also has it that if one uses formaldehyde as
a fixative, it should be e.m. grade (i.e. methanol free), and that
this is equivalent to using paraformaldehyde.

In any case, we have used e.m. grade formaldehyde
(Polysciences, Warrington, PA) for many years without apparent problems.

Perhaps there are some chemists out there in Flowland who could
confirm or refute this flow lore.

@dd
Albert D. Donnenberg, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh
Voice: (412) 624-9596
Fax: (412) 624-9624


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