Phytoplankton glassware

Phytoplankton glassware, containers, tubing and reagents should be carefully selected to avoid toxic compounds. Generally borosilicate glassware and tissue culture-grade polycarbonate or polystyrene plasticware are recommended. Teflon-lined caps are desirable for screw-top glass test tubes. Black caps should be autoclaved several times in changes of seawater. This helps to reduce teh leakage of toxic phenolics when heated.

Rubber stoppers should be autoclaved separately from media. Older autoclaves with copper tubing should be avoided because excess copper is toxic to algae. The autoclave steam itself may be contaminated with metals or chemicals used to inhibit corrosion of the autoclave.

1. Newly purchased glassware should be treated with dilute NaOH to degrease them. It can also be useful to first bake new glassware at 450deg C over night to remove any organic contamination.
2. Glassware should be soaked with 10% HCl for at least three days. Rinse at least 5 times with RO and 5 times with 18.2MOhm water. Add foam plug and wrap plug in aluminum foil, then autoclave.

To remove trace metals a wash with a chealator is recommended.

1. Trace metal cleaning solution (per L):

	15 g trizma base
	11.5 g disodium EDTA at pH 6.8

Rinse flasks well with trace metal cleaning solution after HCl soak and then proceed to rinse flasks as indicated above.

Flasks may be capped with plugs made of cotton wrapped in cheese cloth or covered with a beaker. An over-cap made of foil or a plastic beaker may prevent fungi from becoming established in a damp plug.