Mold And Microwave Experiment Results

[ScienceChick]

So you may remember that I was wondering how moldy/SITB ink would respond to a trip through the microwave to kill the nasties. The results, such as they are, are in. In other words, I give up.

 

Amber sent me six vials of Scribal Black ink to use; I added J. Herbin Larmes de Cassis, Noodlers BSB and Diamine Marine to the line-up. I grew lovely crops of mold on wheat bread, orange slices and in sugar water (0.5M sucrose solution, for those who care). I put three vials of Scribal black and the JH, Noodlers and Diamine inks into test tubes and inoculated each of them with a healthy wad of mold and covered them lightly. I left the other three vials of Scribal open to the air and left the whole shebang out on the counter.

 

After a week, all evidence of mold in the inoculated inks was gone. Either the biocides killed it, there weren't enough nutrients in the ink to support growth or both. I added more mold to all six vials; by the end of the next week, nothing. Not even crud (that I could see) in the test tubes. The vials that I had left out in open air had some evaporation but no mold or anything else growing. I left all of the test tubes and vials out for another few weeks and nada. Nothing grew in any of the test inks.

 

Not to be deterred, I added water to all the inks to bring them back to 15 mLs, put the inks into the microwave and nuked 'em for 5 minutes. After I cleaned the inside of the microwave and the ink had cooled, I pipetted off the top ~13 mLs and put the microwaved ink into sample vials. I didn't see crud at the bottom of the tubes but decided to err on the side of caution. Then I loaded the ink into some pens Steve loaned me.* I didn't see any degradation of any of the ink. The color (where applicable) was correct in a side-by-side with non-nuked ink and I didn't experience any weird ink behavior. Steve's pens didn't self-destruct and the ink cleaned out of them with no more problems than usual.

 

My conclusions: Moldphobia is over-blown and not worth worrying about; biocide rocks. Five minutes in the microwave doesn't seem to negatively affect ink. YMMV. Steve probably shouldn't loan me any more pens.

 

 

*Lying like a rug, His pens got pink ink but none of the tampered-with stuff.

[T4TEXAS]

But does 5 minutes in ink negatively affect a microwave?

[jmccarty3]

Inks, fortunately, are rather like humans. We do not develop disease from every microorganism to which we are exposed, otherwise, we'd be sick all the time (or, actually, dead). I applaud ScienceChick for doing this experiment, and hope it may relieve peoples' minds. Personally, I have only developed fungal contamination in one ink out of all my huge collection--admittedly, it was easy for me, as a dermatologist, to recognize what it was. I tossed it, of course. I must admit that life is a bit different for me now, using many more pens, changing inks frequently, and writing with them much less frequently due to the totalitarian imposition of electronic medical records. I no longer have time to write and play with my inks, and I rain curses down upon the intellectuals, bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen, and programmers who have visited this abomination upon doctors who are trying to take care of patients. There, I feel better.

[amberleadavis]

Thank you, ScienceChick!!!

[Flaxmoore]

Inks, fortunately, are rather like humans. We do not develop disease from every microorganism to which we are exposed, otherwise, we'd be sick all the time (or, actually, dead). I applaud ScienceChick for doing this experiment, and hope it may relieve peoples' minds. Personally, I have only developed fungal contamination in one ink out of all my huge collection--admittedly, it was easy for me, as a dermatologist, to recognize what it was. I tossed it, of course. I must admit that life is a bit different for me now, using many more pens, changing inks frequently, and writing with them much less frequently due to the totalitarian imposition of electronic medical records. I no longer have time to write and play with my inks, and I rain curses down upon the intellectuals, bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen, and programmers who have visited this abomination upon doctors who are trying to take care of patients. There, I feel better.

One of the Candida species, I presume?

[jmccarty3]

One of the Candida species, I presume?

 

Not necessarily--other fungi could grow in this situation. Yeast colonies tend to be shiny, not fuzzy. Some fungi are dimorphic--they can exist as yeast or molds, depending on the circumstances. We had to learn how to identify them by sight as residents, but that was a long time ago, and the culture media used make a difference in the appearance of the colony.

[Frank C]

[A]dmittedly, it was easy for me, as a dermatologist, to recognize what it was. I tossed it, of course. I must admit that life is a bit different for me now, using many more pens, changing inks frequently, and writing with them much less frequently due to the totalitarian imposition of electronic medical records. I no longer have time to write and play with my inks, and I rain curses down upon the intellectuals, bureaucrats, politicians, businessmen, and programmers who have visited this abomination upon doctors who are trying to take care of patients. There, I feel better.

 

But did you touch it first? I'm an anesthesiologist and a case was held up for about two hours last week by the surgeon's being late. He had performed a surgery and was entering his post-op orders in the computer. The computer recommended blood clot prophylaxis, so he replied with a "y" for yes. The computer kept rejecting his orders. He called technical support and was put on hold for 35 minutes. After going through this process a few more times, the technical support person called someone in another state. After another half-hour wait, he was told that he should have entered a capital "Y". That did finally work.

 

They told us that computerized medical records would save time. I don't think so. They do save "CMS"—the Center for Medicare Soviets, I believe—time in going through records and deciding which procedures not to pay for, after the procedures have been completed, of course.

Edited June 1, 2015 by Frank C

[jmccarty3]

 

They told us that computerized medical records would save time. I don't think so. They do save "CMS"—the Center for Medicare Soviets, I believe—time in going through records and deciding which procedures not to pay for, after the procedures have been completed, of course.

 

 

+1

[Frank C]

 

 

+1

 

Sorry for the rant. I do admire the science behind ScienceChick's experiment.

 

There is a row of microwaves on my computer screen below this post in an area called,"Sponsored Content". I guess that these are all ink-approved ovens that can withstand 5 minutes of microwaving any ink samples.

[Linedog]

Thank you Science Chick, as a newbe I heard about mold and was wondering if I should store my few bottles of ink in the fridge. Looks like it will be fine in my desk drawer.

[jasonchickerson]

I'm afraid all you've proved is that SITB is not caused by bread mold. Bread mold grows on bread because it need the nutrients found in bread to thrive. No wonder it doesn't like ink.

 

Next time, try to find mold on your bathroom ceiling or behind your refrigerator on the wall. You may have much better luck.

 

The best way to grow SITB naturally might be to leave an open container on top of the fridge, where it is warm and slightly more humid.

[Sasha Royale]

Irradiation in a microwave oven would likely kill mold spores and bacteria.

No one ever assures that the ink bottle is "microwave safe". The results

could be quite dramatic.

[SamCapote]

I'm afraid all you've proved is that SITB is not caused by bread mold. Bread mold grows on bread because it need the nutrients found in bread to thrive. No wonder it doesn't like ink.

 

Next time, try to find mold on your bathroom ceiling or behind your refrigerator on the wall. You may have much better luck.

 

The best way to grow SITB naturally might be to leave an open container on top of the fridge, where it is warm and slightly more humid.

 

It was a worthy experiment. Good points raised by Jason. It also only told us about the results in the specifically tested inks which are known to have more agressive, long-lasting biocides. Some dye components of other colors can break down the biocidal activity on a case-by-case basis over time, so even in the name brands tested, there may be SITB from growing organisms developing over a longer time frame, and optimal conditions (i.e. warm).

 

The only significant issue I have ever run into after buying and using several thousand bottles of inks was the widespread De Atramentis contamination that arrived fresh, unopened directly from their factory in Germany. For long term storage, phenol and dowicil-75 have become my friends. After my De Atramentis excorcism and biocidal baptism, 5 years ago--they have remained sterile and clean ever since.

 

Enjoyed the medical banter, except coming from two of the highest paying specialties (derm & anesthesiology), my real sympathies lie with the primary care "peasant farmers" (family practice, internist, pediatrics).

Edited June 3, 2015 by SamCapote

[jmccarty3]

I am afraid you are misled about dermatology being a uniformly high paying specialty. For those of us who practice the old fashioned way, i.e., not herding people like cattle through the office, it is not much more profitable than family practice. The overhead, in terms of equipment, is also much higher than most other specialties. Our specialty is not a bell-shaped curve.

 

The people on whom you need to focus your ire are not physicians, but rather hospital administrators, insurance executives, and government regulators. They are the ones who are skimming off all the money and leaving doctors with nothing but the legal liability. They have even taken away my ability to write with my beloved pens, forcing us to use wretched, inefficient electronic "health" records, the ultimate purpose of which is to deny claims and to control what your doctor will be able to do for you.

 

You are welcome to spend a day in my office to see what reality is like. You will find it quite different from what you read in the media.