What is a safe way to dispose of E. Coli?

Question

Doing an experiment with it, and ordering soon, how would I dispose of it after the experiment?

The e coli is being grown in a liquid culture

Answer 1

I generally follow the recommendations provided by our safety officer at my academic lab.

If your liquid cultures can afford the extra volume, you can just add a lot of deionized h2o, that should stop the growing (by lysing the cells). Then toss in the bio-hazard bag, for the autoclave.

Or, if you have access to an autoclave, then autoclave the culture, and you can probably dump down the drain.

Check with your safety officer!!

It was fun thinking about your question. Pass on the good Karma!

Answer 2

The best way is to autoclave it and then dispose of the media or plates in a biohazard bag which is then incinerated.

If you are working in a lab, your job is to autoclave the plates, and disposing in biohazard bags. Its the outoclaving and incineration people who collect the material from each lab and then discard it acoording to biosafety practises of your institute.

Answer 3

Heat it to over 180 degrees F

Answer 4

If it's a harmless strain, flush it down the toilet (just think, everyone flushes plenty down the toilet every day).

I s'pose you could add a spot of bleach first.

If it's not a harmless strain, incinerate it.

Answer 5

dilute with ethyl alcohol

Answer 6

Toilet.