When I first arrived in my postdoc lab, I had to figure out all the usual newbie things--how do we order stuff, where are the Kimwipes, etc etc. One of my questions was: Where's the drinking water? In GradLab there had been a common kitchen space for several labs that included a filtered water source, and I assumed a similar space existed in NewLab.
To my shock, I was told that most people just drank the deionized lab water. For those who aren't familiar with biomed lab water sources, there are often 3-4 of them: tap water, which is often industrial water and therefore unsafe to drink; deionized water, which has been run over a resin or something to remove mineral content; and double distilled water, which is extra super clean and used in applications where you want complete control of ionic content; and RNase and DNase free water, which is for molecular applications.
Now, I might argue against drinking dI water on basic principles that water ought to have some minerals and other goodies in it. But the lab dI water in particular: we also use that sink--and even that water source--to wash off all manner of lab equipment: dirty or even bloody tools, beakers that once contained various drugs, etc. I don't even want to think about what may have splashed back onto the tubing the dI water runs through. I certainly don't want it in my tea.
It turned out that there was a normal Arrowhead water supply around, it just involved exiting the lab, going downstairs, and turning a few corners. Ok.
But the entire episode left me wondering: why was I so appalled by the idea of drinking lab dI water, while my labmates (including Advisor) were so blase? Are they filthy idiots? Am I Miss Priss? Do people in other labs drink lab water? Or add lab sucrose to their coffee?
I don't know the answers to these questions, but I do enjoy the health benefits from jogging downstairs a few times daily for my water.
15 years ago
19 comments:
EEGADS!!! You're not supposed to drink dI water! YES, you need minerals!
I'd be VERY concerned about working with these people. How the hell do they not know this???
I've never had 'special' drinking water in any of the labs I've worked in. In grad lab, most people brought a Nalgene from home, as the water fountain down the hall was sometimes known to spew brownish colored water. In grad lab I think we typically used the dI water (from a sink used to clean glassware, etc) for the coffee pot. I knew a grad student in a different lab who drank the Milli-Q water, which i thought was weird (but probably very clean!).
In postdoc lab most people brought their own. I used the trusty Nalgene, others bought cases of bottled water (which I then nagged them about all the extra packaging). The lab across the hall had one of those water coolers, but my PI was too cheap to spring for one. Occasionally when the Nalgene was empty, I'd take some of their water.
Now in my 'real' job, i still bring the nalgene. We use tap water for the coffee pot, but from a sink that's only used for handwashing and washing of eating dishes, etc.
I understand that drinking water should have minerals in it, but is it really that harmful to occasionally drink water that doesn't?
I used to put 4M nackle in my soup! For realz!
No, you're right, that's gross.
There's no kitchen sink or water cooler on my floor, so I too have to go downstairs to fill my water bottle (from the cooler) or kettle (from the kitchen tap). We do get 500 mL bottles of water delivered to our floor, but I don't think that being too lazy to go down one flight of stairs justifies the extra plastic waste! Not everyone on my floor agrees though, some of them even use the bottled water to fill kettles and coffee makers.
We just use the drinking fountain down the hall to fill our respective cups or water bottles.
As for the lack of minerals, I noticed at Whole Foods this past weekend that they sell DI water as drinking water (as well as reverse osmosis water), so I guess drinking it is trendy now :) But you're right, on principle, drinking the water out of your lab sink where you handle chemicals is gross.
That's just icky. I know the water is clean, but the sink is definitely not. Ewww.
WTF is "4M Nackle", PP?
Maybe they get their minerals from the cigarettes.
4M Nackle = 4M NaCl?
I knew someone who made ramen noodles in autoclaved lab beakers on a hot plate. He thought that was fine because the beakers were sterile. I kept telling him that didn't mean the beakers didn't have, say, sodium azide residue in them, but he never listened.
He is still alive, though, so maybe I was wrong....
Oh, we would be in big trouble if anyone caught us ever doing that. We have a MAJOR emphasis on safety where I work. I get water from the water fountain or bathroom sink for my bottle, as does everyone else.
in my masters lab everyone drank the double distilled water, and honestly I never thought anything of it. Mind we also ate and drank coffee while doing experiments...this would never happen in phdlab
"Just two things of which you must beware,
Don't drink the water and don't breath the air!
Pollution, pollution, they got smog and sewage and sludge...."
there's a Lehrer song for every post..
BikeM--where'd you think I got the title?
Perhaps also could have titled it with a list of the things that might have splashed onto the dI water tap: bromine, lithium, beryllium, and barium (ok maybe not beryllium.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPrAuF2f_oI
in case the kidz these dayz want to know wtf we're talking about...
I think our EH&S rep would have a shit fit if she saw one of us drinking any kind of lab water. Our lab is Biosafety Level 2, and although I don't find this to be a huge deal, she flipped out once when someone carried their own water bottle into the lab.
I find it disturbing the your labmates just toss it back without a second thought!
The folks at my postdoc place drank the DI water and it freaked me out too. Usually for hot drinks so it was microwaved first but we're talking about people who brushed their teeth and washed food dishes in lab sinks.
A couple of cups a day isn't going to damage your health through lack of minerals - it is no different to drinking a soft drink.
ewwwww! I know people that do this too, but it gives me the creeps. Lab sink contact to my mouth? No thanks! It's not necessarily better, but as a last resort the water in the bathroom sinks is more appealing, since unless there's a sign, it should be safe as drinking water. Otherwise I think I'd be hauling my drinking water from home daily. Glad to hear you did find a good safer source!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=nackle
I hope to jeebus that PP meant definition #3, and not #2...
I agree your labmates sound gross, but what's the big deal about drinking dI water? Maybe I'm confused, but I thought food was a more significant source of minerals than drinking water?
Samia--it's not the water per se (although Ms PhD is right, it's normal to have minerals in your water that you might not get normally through other routes....still, I'm sure these people drink water at home) but the fact that we use the dI tap to rinse off all manner of nasty items. Splashback much?
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