[Nhcoll-l] FW: Alcohol concentration for terrestrial vertebrates

Thu May 13 06:52:27 EDT 2021

Dear Sergio,

alone in the Eu there are over 30 accredited denaturants, often they are 
mixed to make the ethanol undrinkable. While some have limited effects 
on the stability of the DNA-molecule, others do affect the integrity 
sooner or later. This is a gradual process that is strongly linked with 
the polarity of the denaturing agents, causing fragmentation and 
degradation of the DNA.

Usually, especially in commercial product, it is not really specified 
which denaturants exactly have been added, and even though you use the 
same product, denaturing agents may change. Since 2012, the EU strives 
to harmonise taxation of ethanol and thus spoiling of ethanol to make it 
undrinkable. More information is provided here: 
https://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/business/excise-duties-alcohol-tobacco-energy/excise-duties-alcohol/alcohol-not-human-consumption_en

The results can be found here: 
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32018R1880&from=EN

/The common //denatur//ing procedure //for completely //denatured 
//alcohol //employed in Belgium, //Bulgaria, Czech //Republic, 
//Denmark, //Germany, Estonia, //Ireland, //Greece, //Spain, //France, 
//Italy, Cyprus, Latvia, //Lithuania, //Luxembourg, //Hungar//y, Malta, 
//the Netherlands, //Austria, Poland, //Portugal, Romania, //Slovenia, 
Slovakia and //Finland: //Per hectolit//re of absolute //ethanol:/
— 1,0 litre isopropyl alcohol,
— 1,0 litre methyl ethyl ketone,
— 1,0 gram denatonium benzoate.

Isoprop and Bitrex (denatonium benzoate) surely are not an issue, but 
the keton MEK breaks down over time as it is a highly polar molecule 
that tends to oxidise other (bio) molecules.

While some EU-countries allow research institutions the usage of untaxed 
undentaured ethanol, other countries don't. And even though a common 
procedure for denaturing has been approved, you have no control that it 
is always applied.

Thus I would clearly vote for exclusive usage of undenatured, pure (96%) 
EtOH. It might be worth noting negative effects on the DNA-quality has 
been reported from 99.8% EtOH occasionally, which might be linked with 
residual chemical agents (usually low boiling benzines) used to "dry" 
the ethanol above 96%.

Hope this helps
Dirk

Am 13.05.2021 um 11:06 schrieb Sergio Montagud:
>
> No, I’m referring to ethanol or ethyl alcohol.
>
> Sergio
>
> *From: *Lennart Lennuk <Lennart.Lennuk at loodusmuuseum.ee>
> *Date: *Thursday, 13 May 2021 at 11:00
> *To: *Sergio Montagud <sergio.montagud at gmail.com>, 
> "nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu" <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
> *Subject: *RE: [Nhcoll-l] FW: Alcohol concentration for terrestrial 
> vertebrates
>
> Are you talking about methanol?
>
> *From:* Nhcoll-l [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] *On Behalf 
> Of *Sergio Montagud
> *Sent:* Thursday, May 13, 2021 11:59 AM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] FW: Alcohol concentration for terrestrial 
> vertebrates
>
> I take advantage of this interesting conversation to ask about 
> properties to preserve DNA of commercial ethanol (96 %) used for 
> sanitary use. I have heard different  opinions. A lot of them says 
> that the component used in this ethanol to make it undrinkable could 
> affect the DNA stabilization. Other people employ it to preserve the 
> samples and seems not to have problems about DNA extractions. After 
> years of experiences… Does someone knows if there is any work or 
> article that definitively concludes on this?
>
> Sergio
>
> --
>
> ********************************
>
> Sergio Montagud Alario
>
> Museu [UV] Història Natural
>
> Universitat de València
>
> e-mail: sergio.montagud at uv.es <mailto:sergio.montagud at uv.es>
>
> ********************************
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Nhcoll-l mailing list
> Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l
>
> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.

-- 

Dirk Neumann

Tel: 089 / 8107-111
Fax: 089 / 8107-300
neumann(a)snsb.de

Postanschrift:

Staatliche Naturwissenschaftliche Sammlungen Bayerns
Zoologische Staatssammlung München
Dirk Neumann, Sektion Ichthyologie / DNA-Storage
Münchhausenstr. 21
81247 München

Besuchen Sie unsere Sammlung:
http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/

---------

Dirk Neumann

Tel: +49-89-8107-111
Fax: +49-89-8107-300
neumann(a)snsb.de

postal address:

Bavarian Natural History Collections
The Bavarian State Collection of Zoology
Dirk Neumann, Section Ichthyology / DNA-Storage
Muenchhausenstr. 21
81247 Munich (Germany)

Visit our section at:
http://www.zsm.mwn.de/sektion/ichthyologie-home/

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20210513/e6112d75/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: kecjecbnkghhjplo.png
Type: image/png
Size: 23308 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20210513/e6112d75/attachment.png>