Biosafety Month

When working with biological materials, it is important to choose the proper disinfectant to be used for each organism and material you will be using. No one disinfectant is universally effective against all organisms and biological materials.  

For example, 70% ethanol has been shown to be ineffective against non-enveloped viruses, such as adeno-associated virus (AAV). When working with AAV, you will need to use another disinfectant, such as sodium hypochlorite (the active ingredient in many household bleaches). 70% ethanol is not effective against many of the pathogens that can be found in human cells and bodily fluids. For this reason, 70% ethanol cannot be used as the primary disinfectant when working with human or non-human primate cells or other materials.

Although sodium hypochlorite is effective against many pathogens, even this disinfectant is not effective against some organisms and biological materials, such as prions, many bacterial spores, and cryptosporidium. Bleach is easily inactivated by organic compounds, so if experiments involve organic matter, an alternative disinfectant that is effective against the materials being used will need to be identified.

Sodium hypochlorite is corrosive to metals. After first using sodium hypochlorite to disinfect equipment, another solution (e.g., 70% ethanol, water) may need to be used to rinse the bleach residue off of the equipment.

Additionally, the standard or brand name of a disinfectant (e.g., bleach, Lysol) does not indicate which active chemical ingredient is present in the specific product purchased.

For example, some bleaches are made with hydrogen peroxide as the active ingredient instead of sodium hypochlorite. It is important to read the list of ingredients when using a disinfectant, and to make sure that the active ingredient is effective against the organisms and materials being used.

Risk Groups and Biosafety Levels

What is a risk group, and how does it differ from a biosafety level?

Risk Groups

• The risk group refers to the risks associated with a specific agent to a healthy, adult, human.
• The risk group alone does not describe the specific biosafety level that will need to be used to perform experiments with the organism. It is necessary to also review the specific experiments and procedures being performed with the organism to determine the appropriate biosafety level required to safely work with the organism.
• There are 4 risk group designations. Risk Group 1 (RG1) is the lowest risk group, and Risk Group 4 (RG4) is the highest.

Biosafety Level (BSL)

• Physical containment is designated by a biosafety level (BSL). The level is a description of the lab practices/techniques, safety equipment, lab facility design, and training requirements needed to safely perform specific experiments and biohazards in a specific space.
• The biosafety level is not a designation, or synonym, for the organism(s) being used.
• There are 4 biosafety levels. Biosafety level (BSL-1) is the lowest, and Biosafety level 4 (BSL-4) is the highest.

Prior to beginning a new project, experiment, or a change in the scope of research

• Conduct a new risk/hazard assessment
• Review the lab space(s) and containment equipment to confirm that the necessary equipment is available and any required certificaitons are up to date
  
• Review the PPE requirements and confirm that the appropriate PPE is available
• Review standard operating procedures and edit them to include new procedures
• Review training requirements and training records of personnel to confirm that personnel are prepared to perform the procedures and to handle the agents being used

The University Biosafety Manual provides information and general SOPs pertaining to the safe use of biological agents in Virginia Tech laboratories. The university manual is a useful tool for all researchers. The manual is available online, and can be downloaded as a PDF.  It is not required to maintain a printed copy of the university biosafety manual in the laboratory.

The university biosafety manual is NOT a replacement for the Lab-Specific Biosafety Manual. The lab-specific biosafety manual includes details related to the personnel, equipment, and procedures that are specific to the spaces used by each specific lab group. All laborarories handling biological materials, regardless of the containment level, must have a lab-specific biosafety manual. The lab-specific biosafetyt manual should be printed and maintained in an area of the laboratory that is accessible to all personnel.

The university biosafety manual and the template for the lab-specific biosafety manual can be accessed from the Environmental Health and Safety website, and from the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) protocol using IBC Protocol Management.