[Nhcoll-l] old glass containers

[Hawks, Catharine]

The glassware appears to be quite clear, which suggests that if it is as old as it appears to be, the glass may have been formulated with either uranium or arsenic.  Glass of this type can become very fragile as it ages and could break easily with any handling.

You may want to consult with your safety office on an appropriate protocol for opening these. We have done this, but it did involve siting the glass in absorbent medium inside a heavy plastic pail, transferring to a hood, then slowly opening by the application of towels warmed in hot water to the base of the jar, with applications of light mineral oil around the lid, using a syringe.

Takes a bit of patience, but works.

Cathy
_______________________________
Catharine Hawks
Museum Conservator
National Museum of Natural History
NHB 394 MRC 106
Smithsonian Institution
PO Box 37012
Washington, DC 20013-7012
Office 202.633.0835
Conservation 202.633.4041
Cell (work) 202.701.8458
Cell (pers) 703.200.4370



From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Nancy Glover McCartney
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2015 2:55 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] old glass containers

I have several old glass containers housing fish, herps, inverts, etc. that are getting very low on fluid. I expect the containers are pretty brittle, as a gar with a giant lobster broke with almost no provocation and spewed formalin all over: not a process I want to repeat.  I don't have any idea what these specimens are stored in.

I have attached a few pix of fish and the screw down tops that appear to have parafilm  or an ancient rubber around the lid; some of the smaller containers have what may be beeswax holding in a stopper.

Should I attempt to open and replace fluid?  If so, how? What precautions?

An earlier query 10 years or so ago said just to leave them alone, but maybe there is different advice now.

I'd appreciate some doable suggestion.

My thanks in advance, as always.

Nancy Glover McCartney, PhD
Curator of Zoology
UA Collections Facility
120 BIOMASS
University of Arkansas
2435 Hatch
Fayetteville AR 72701

Phone: 479-575-4370
Fax: 479-575-7464

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