Jove
Visualize
Contact Us

Related Experiment Videos

Evaluation of carbon dioxide dissipation within a euthanasia chamber.

Shelly M Djoufack-Momo1, Ashlee A Amparan, Beverly Grunden

  • 1Department of Community Health, Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, USA.

Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS
|September 9, 2014
PubMed
Summary

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) euthanasia for rodents requires understanding gas dissipation. Leaving the chamber lid on significantly delays CO₂ clearance, impacting sequential euthanasia protocols.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Exposure of research personnel to carbon dioxide during euthanasia procedures.

Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science : JAALAS·2014
See all related articles
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Area of Science:

  • Veterinary Science
  • Laboratory Animal Science
  • Anesthesiology

Background:

  • Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a widely used method for the euthanasia of small laboratory animals, particularly rodents.
  • Sequential batch euthanasia is a common practice in animal research facilities, necessitating efficient gas dissipation between batches.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of various factors on carbon dioxide (CO₂) dissipation rates within euthanasia chambers.
  • To determine optimal procedures for clearing CO₂ from chambers to ensure timely sequential euthanasia.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed CO₂ dissipation times under different conditions: varying fill rates (slow 15% vs. slow 15% + rapid 50%), lid status, chamber orientation (upright vs. inverted), and cage presence.
  • Monitored CO₂ concentration levels over time using standard euthanasia durations and flow rates.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • CO₂ levels peaked between 50% and 80% in all trials.
  • CO₂ concentration dropped below 10% within 2 minutes after gas shutoff, unless the chamber lid remained on.
  • Leaving the chamber lid on significantly delayed CO₂ dissipation, with levels remaining above 10% after 20 minutes.
  • Inverting the chamber after filling accelerated CO₂ dissipation.
  • Significant interactions were observed between cage presence, flow rate, and chamber position.

Conclusions:

  • The primary factor delaying CO₂ dissipation is leaving the chamber lid on.
  • A 2-minute clearance period is recommended between euthanasia batches, unless chamber manipulation (e.g., inverting) is employed.
  • Optimizing CO₂ dissipation protocols can improve the efficiency of sequential euthanasia in laboratory animal facilities.