[NHCOLL-L:4061] RE: Fwd: [H&S] Fwd: use of picric acid.2

Fri Oct 31 06:01:33 EDT 2008

Just a quick question as a 'rider' to this discussion; many have
mentioned Bouin's fluid which was a standard fixative when I did
histology and micro-anatomy but has anyone used/heard of Dubosq-Brasil's
fixative which is an alcoholic version of Bouin (and slightly safer to
use) and which was used primarily for arthropod fixation?

With all good wishes, 
Simon Moore, MIScT, FLS, ACR, 
Senior Conservator of Natural Sciences. 
Hampshire County Council 
Recreation & Heritage Department, 
Museums & Archives Service, 
Chilcomb House, Chilcomb Lane, 
Winchester SO23 8RD. UK. 
Internal  8 327 6737 
01962 826737 
http://www.hants.gov.uk/museum/biology 

________________________________

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of John E Simmons
Sent: 30 October 2008 17:45
To: JBRYANT at riversideca.gov
Cc: CAHawks at aol.com; NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:4056] RE: Fwd: [H&S] Fwd: Safe disposal of picric
acid

Picric acid is most commonly used in Bouin's Solution, which is a
histological fixative.  Bouin's Solution is has a distinctive yellow
color.  Specimens that were once fixed in Bouin's and later transferred
to alcohol may still contain traces of the picric acid in Bouin's
Solution.  Picric acid is not dangerous as long as it is in solution,
but when it dries it is very explosive.  Yet another reason why the
preservation history of specimens should be part of the catalog
record...Unfortunately, we rarely have this information for our
collections.

--John

John E. Simmons
Museologica
128 E. Burnside Street
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010
simmons.johne at gmail.com
303-681-5708
and
Adjunct Curator of Collections
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery
Penn State University
19 Deike Building
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802-2709
jes67 at psu.edu

On Thu, Oct 30, 2008 at 11:35 AM, Bryant, James
<JBRYANT at riversideca.gov> wrote:

	Thank you all for the background on this preservative. I'm
curious as to why picric acid was ever used? It's new to me.

	James M. Bryant

	Curator of Natural History

	Museum Department, City of Riverside

	3580 Mission Inn Avenue

	Riverside, CA 92501

	(951) 826-5273

	(951) 369-4970 FAX

	jbryant at riversideca.gov

________________________________

	From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
[mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of CAHawks at aol.com
	Sent: Wednesday, October 29, 2008 5:33 PM
	To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
	Subject: [NHCOLL-L:4048] Fwd: [H&S] Fwd: Safe disposal of picric
acid

	Catharine Hawks
	Conservator
	2419 Barbour Road
	Falls Church VA 22043-3026 USA
	t/f 703.876.9272 

________________________________

		From: BallardM at si.edu
		Reply-to: aic-health at lists.stanford.edu
		To: aic-health at lists.stanford.edu
		Sent: 10/29/2008 9:58:15 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
		Subj: Re: [H&S] Fwd: [NHCOLL-L:4037] Safe disposal of
picric acid

		Common name: Picric Acid

		Color Index Name Acid Yellow (no number)

		C.I. Constitution Number: 10305 

		Discovered by Woulfe, 1771.

		Solubility: sparingly soluble in water (yellow); readily
soluble in ethanol. 

		Toxicity information From NISax et al. Dangerous
Properties of Industrial Materials 6th ed. 1984 

		Can cause allergic irritation as well as dermatitis.
Sympoms of systematic poisoning are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, yellow
discoloration of skin & convulsions, as well as stupor, skin eruptions,
anemia, abdominal pain and oligeria

		Explosion hazard: dangerous when shocked or exposed to
heat. Keep out of contact with metals. Forms unstable salts with
concrete, ammonia and bases. Picric acid is a more powerful explosive
than TNT.

		Disaster hazard: highly dangerous, shock will explode it
on decomposition it emits highly toxic fumes and explodes. Can react
vigorously with reducing materials. 

		If you want to know what it looks like it's 2,4,6
trinitrophenol.

		Mary W. Ballard

		Senior Textiles Conservator,

		Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution

		4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland MD 20746 U.S.A.

		tel: 301-238-1210 fax: 301-238-3709 

		email ballardm at si.edu

________________________________

		From: aic-health-bounces at lists.stanford.edu
[mailto:aic-health-bounces at lists.stanford.edu] On Behalf Of
CAHawks at aol.com
		Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 9:22 PM
		To: aic-health at lists.Stanford.edu
		Subject: [H&S] Fwd: [NHCOLL-L:4037] Safe disposal of
picric acid

		Catharine Hawks
		Conservator
		2419 Barbour Road
		Falls Church VA 22043-3026 USA
		t/f 703.876.9272 

________________________________

			From: Morris.Robert at saugov.sa.gov.au
			To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
			Sent: 10/28/2008 3:52:59 A.M. Eastern Daylight
Time
			Subj: [NHCOLL-L:4037] Safe disposal of picric
acid

			Dear All,

			We have a number of Helminth specimens housed in
picric acid solution that we would like to rebottle and store in a less
volatile medium. The specimens remain in solution but are housed in old
food jars with metal lids. This really is an OHS no no and one we need
to address before the safety auditors land on our doorsteps.  Although
reasonably stable if left alone, our fear is that by trying to unscrew
the metal lids we may ignite the crystalline form that may have formed
on the underside of the lids. 

			One thought would be to immerse the jars in a
water tank and allow them to slowly fill with water before attempting to
unscrew the lids. Has anyone encountered this problem and if so what
methods did you adopt to safely extract specimens from picric acid
solution?

			Any advice would be appreciated

			Robert Morris

			Head of Collections

			South Australian Museum

			North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000

			Tel. +61 (0)8 82077455, Fax. +61 (0)8 82077222

			www.samuseum.sa.gov.au
<http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/> 

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