Lab Air Quality

Hi Dr Wegner.

I got to tour a state of the art lab this weekend. A lot went into the development of the lab from digging below the floor into the ground to test for any emissions to using all paint and products that emit no VOCs at tall. Obviously air filtration too. New, small sized incubators designed to recalibrate much quicker than the old ones...I learned a lot about how VOCs and Air Contaminants can affect embryo development, fragmentation and overall success rates for a clinic.

What if someone that accessed the lab or handled embryos was a smoker? It's not the case with this lab in particular but what if someone smoked during the time he/she worked during the day? It seems to me that there is no way at all to get the toxins off your clothes, body, fingernails, etc and no smoking would be an absolute truth at any lab. They say perfume and deodorant can impact embryos so how would smoking?

Is that correct or do you have another opinion on the matter?

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Originally Posted by nuthinbutpink

Hi Dr Wegner.

I got to tour a state of the art lab this weekend. A lot went into the development of the lab from digging below the floor into the ground to test for any emissions to using all paint and products that emit no VOCs at tall. Obviously air filtration too. New, small sized incubators designed to recalibrate much quicker than the old ones...I learned a lot about how VOCs and Air Contaminants can affect embryo development, fragmentation and overall success rates for a clinic.

What if someone that accessed the lab or handled embryos was a smoker? It's not the case with this lab in particular but what if someone smoked during the time he/she worked during the day? It seems to me that there is no way at all to get the toxins off your clothes, body, fingernails, etc and no smoking would be an absolute truth at any lab. They say perfume and deodorant can impact embryos so how would smoking?

Is that correct or do you have another opinion on the matter?

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Hi nuthinbutpink,
No, I have never hired anyone that smokes. We asked technicians not to use perfume or aftershave at work. We did however allow personal deoderants! :) Fortunately, smoking is on the decline in the US. More importantly, we didn't allow staff to dress in scrubs at home and bring that environment to work. They would change into scrubs at work, so as not to bring pet dander and other particulates into the lab. And we wore hair nets. With the air purifiers- it's just a matter of minimizing the particle load. Degassing a new lab or new incubators is also important but not sure how often that is put into practice since there is a LOT of pressure to get up and going most places. That is why I always suggest you don't want to be the first patient treated at a new lab- maybe give it 6 months or a year, then become their patient.
Carole

So if a head embryologist of a lab smoked at work, do you think that could contribute to fragmentation, embryo development issues and ultimately negative outcomes?

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Originally Posted by nuthinbutpink

So if a head embryologist of a lab smoked at work, do you think that could contribute to fragmentation, embryo development issues and ultimately negative outcomes?

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I have never run that experiment- it may be that the air purifier could deal with that without issues for the embryo. I simply don't know.

I just figured if soap and perfume could bother an embryo, certainly smoke on hands, clothes, etc can't be great. Thank you!