[Nhcoll-l] Collection and curatorial staff health issues

[Callomon,Paul]

We had some dry mold in our alcohol room that didn't bother me or my assistants, but that nearly sent a young volunteer to the hospital with symptoms that sound similar to yours. Individual susceptibility to molds varies enormously, from nothing much (older, rurally raised folks like me) to life-threatening (often younger people who grew up in unnaturally clean, antiseptic environments).

PC.


Paul Callomon
Collections Manager in Malacology, Invertebrate Paleontology and General Invertebrates
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA  19103
callomon at ansp.org<mailto:callomon at ansp.org> Tel. 215-405-5096
Experience dinosaurs, butterflies, and live animals- all under one roof! Visit the Academy today. ansp.org<http://www.ansp.org>
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From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Bentley, Andrew Charles
Sent: Friday, September 06, 2013 3:01 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Collection and curatorial staff health issues

Hi all

We have recently had a spate of health issues specifically related to one area of our building and the staff associated with this area.  The symptoms are respiratory (tightening of throat and shortness of breath) and skin related (lesions, rashes etc.) and isolated to this particular area of the building which houses our bird collections, people space and a library.  We recently renovated this area which may have disturbed some old underlying issue in this area.  Our EHS unit on campus has been through and done the usual mold and VOC testing and results suggest that all levels are below acceptable levels and guidelines.  There is no smoking gun as it were and we have initially, tentatively eliminated the above causes.  At this point we are stumped and were wondering if any similar symptoms have been found or encountered at any other collection facilities and, more importantly, if anyone has any ideas as to what could be causing this.  We would be particularly interested in hearing from any institution that may have tested for these and other potential harmful side effects of collections.

The only other factors that we can potentially point to is that we occasionally get (or used to get) bats and squirrels entering the space and "roosting" in the ceiling spaces of this area of the building.  We have also been made aware of a malady called bird breeder's lung or hypersensitivity pneumonitis (http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/indoorenv/mold.html#5) and wonder if anyone has had issues with this in collection environments - specifically dry bird collections.

Any help or suggestions would be gladly accepted.

Thanks

Andy

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 Andy Bentley
 Ichthyology Collection Manager
 University of Kansas
Biodiversity Institute
 Dyche Hall
 1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
 Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
 USA

Tel: (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
 Email: abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>
http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu<http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu/>

SPNHC President-Elect
http://www.spnhc.org

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