Silver nitrate stains: what doesn't work

In summary, having silver nitrate on your hands can be a difficult and frustrating experience for scientists. Despite trying various methods such as washing with hot water, salt water, scrubbing, using ethanol or nail polish remover, Dettol, soap, and even licking it, these methods do not effectively remove the stain. The myth that it will go away after 3-4 days is also not true, as it can take much longer. The only method that seems to work is giving it time, although even that can take a while. Some have even resorted to tattooing their hands to hide the stain. It is important to note that the stain may be caused by silver grains or silver sulphide, and even methods like ferricy
  • #1
Mia Janse
1
0
As a science teacher, I also had the unfortunate experience of getting silver nitrate on my hands. As you know, it stains a horrible brown/black colour and is difficult to remove. I would just like to share with my fellow scientists what doesn't work:
1.) Washing your hands with water, no matter how HOT it is
2.) Washing your hands with salt water
3.) Scrubbing
4.) Ethanol, acetone or nail polish remover
5.) Dettol
6.) Soap
7.) Licking it

And finally, I would like to add that that myth about it going away naturally after 3 or 4 days really is a myth. I've had it on my hands for a week now. It just gets a bit lighter.

So what does work? Tatooing your whole hand to hide the stain ;)
 
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  • #2
From my own experience no method works in no time. The only thing that works is time - but it takes its time.
 
  • #3
I've had skin peeling with this stuff. It's not called lunar caustic for nothing!

It must be silver grains or silver sulphide or similar. I even tried the old ferricyanide bleaching followed by thiosulphate and that did not shift it.
 

1. What is silver nitrate staining?

Silver nitrate staining is a technique commonly used in the lab to visualize proteins, nucleic acids, and other biomolecules. It involves treating a sample with silver nitrate, which reacts with these biomolecules to produce a visible stain.

2. Why doesn't silver nitrate staining always work?

There are several reasons why silver nitrate staining may not work. One possible reason is that the sample does not contain enough of the biomolecule of interest. Another reason could be improper preparation or handling of the sample, which can lead to degradation of the biomolecule and make it unreactive with silver nitrate.

3. Can the type of sample affect silver nitrate staining?

Yes, the type of sample can greatly affect the success of silver nitrate staining. Samples with high lipid or carbohydrate content may not produce a strong enough signal, while samples with high protein content may produce a background signal that can interfere with visualization of the desired biomolecule.

4. Are there any alternatives to silver nitrate staining?

Yes, there are several alternatives to silver nitrate staining, such as immunohistochemistry, fluorescent staining, and enzyme-based staining methods. These techniques may offer better sensitivity and specificity for certain biomolecules and can be more reliable than silver nitrate staining.

5. How can I troubleshoot silver nitrate staining?

If silver nitrate staining is not working, it is important to troubleshoot the issue by carefully examining the sample preparation and handling steps. It may also be helpful to try different concentrations or incubation times with the silver nitrate solution. If the issue persists, it may be necessary to try an alternative staining method.

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