destroying DNA

blindbatblindbat Regular
edited September 2011 in Man Cave
so i was looking around on how to destroy DNA .

found some info .
(1),(4) http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=45471
(2),(3) http://www.slate.com/id/2178383/
(5),(6) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_hydroxide

(1)Bleach (ie. dilute sodium hypochlorite) will degrade DNA and greatly reduce the likelihood that it can be used for biological analysis, such as PCR. It will also degrade proteins and most likely prevent immunological detection of blood group antigens. But when it comes to merely detecting the presence of blood, there are some very sensitive fluorescent dyes that can detect even minute traces of blood, even after it has been cleaned and scrubbed away from visible sight. Bleach will react with DNA but it won’t degrade it down to individual nucleotides.

(2)Bleach contains sodium hypochlorite, an extremely corrosive chemical that can break the hydrogen bonds between DNA base pairs and thus degrade or "denature" a DNA sample. In fact, bleach is so effective that crime labs use a 10 percent solution (one part commercial bleach to nine parts water) to clean workspaces (PDF) so that old samples don't contaminate fresh evidence.

(3)Deoxyribonuclease enzymes, available at biological supply houses, and certain harsh chemicals, like hydrochloric acid, also degrade DNA strands. It's even possible to wipe a knife clean of DNA-laden hair follicles, saliva, and white blood cells with generic soap and warm water. The drawback to this last method is that the tell-tale cells don't just disappear once off the knife. They linger on sponges, in drains, and even in sink traps, where wily investigators search for trace evidence.

(4)NH3 is ammonia. It is a nitrogen atom with three hydrogens attached to it. Sodium hypochlorite is bleach (in a dilute form, as Hercules Rockefeller stated). There is an oxygen bonded to a chlorine, but since only one of oxygen's two binding sites is filled, the oxygen carries an extra pair of electrons and has a negative charge. The sodium has a positive charge and interacts ionically with the hypochlorite.

NaOH is sodium (Na) hydroxide (OH). It is a very strong base (opposite end of pH scale to an acid, with similar effects in that they both can be very destructive).

(5)Tissue digestion

In a similar fashion, sodium hydroxide is used to digest tissues, such as in a process that was used with farm animals at one time. This process involves the placing of a carcass into a sealed chamber, which then puts the carcass in a mixture of sodium hydroxide and water, which breaks chemical bonds keeping the body intact. This eventually turns the body into a coffee-like liquid, and the only solid that remains are bone hulls, which could be crushed between one's fingertips. Sodium hydroxide is frequently used in the process of decomposing roadkill dumped in landfills by animal disposal contractors. Sodium hydroxide has also been used by criminals to dispose of their victims' bodies.

(6)Cleaning agent

Sodium hydroxide is frequently used as an industrial cleaning agent where it is often called "caustic". It is added to water, heated, and then used to clean the process equipment, storage tanks, etc. It can dissolve grease, oils, fats and protein based deposits. Surfactants can also be added to the sodium hydroxide solution in order to stabilize dissolved substances and thus prevent redeposition. A sodium hydroxide soak solution is used as a powerful degreaser on stainless and glass bakeware. It is also a common ingredient in oven cleaners.


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