A group of scientists are warning that disposable plastic equipment used in laboratories around the world can discharge compounds that could skew or ruin the results of medical experiments.
The scientists found that disposable plastic ware -- such as test tubes, pipette tips, and culture plates -- are made with chemicals to enhance stability, durability and performance.
The findings, which are found in this week's issue of the journal Science, show that the manufacturing agents that leach out of the plastic ware can interact with solutions or cells placed in them.
"These do affect at least some of the sorts of assays and experiments that many researchers are doing." Andrew Holt, senior author of the report, told The Canadian Press.
Holt, assistant professor of pharmacology at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, worked on the report with colleagues from his university as well as Acadia University in Wolfville, N.S., and Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.
The group identified two classes of chemical compounds in commonly used plastic lab equipment that leached into solutions:
- quaternary ammonium biocides: anti-bacterial agents that manufacturers add to plastics
- oleamide and related chemicals: compounds used to improve the properties of plastics
Researchers were also able to demonstrate that the compounds interacted biologically with, and changed the behaviour of, human enzymes and brain receptors in different experiments.
Holt said the report won't be a shock to many scientists, many of whom already try to avoid using plastic for specific experiments.
Meanwhile, a scientist who studies how bisphenol A leaches out of plastic bottles and containers says the impact of the findings are limited.
Scott Belcher, a professor of pharmacology and cell biophysics at the University of Cincinnati, said the chemicals in the plastic won't interact with everything placed in a plastic test tube.
Belcher, who was not involved in the recent paper, said the findings do demonstrate the importance of "attention to detail in all aspects of experimental design."
"Well-designed experimental studies must include all important controls and be carefully analyzed without bias to 'expected results'," Belcher told CP.
"As a group the research community should always be considering the appropriateness of their experimental vessels for their specific studies."
Holt acknowledged that the chemical interactions won't completely invalidate scientific findings but he said they could obscure or accentuate the effect of a drug being studied.
The faulty equipment could also force scientists to run more tests, which could slow down research and increase costs.
With files from The Canadian Press
