[Nhcoll-l] [EXT]Re: Mold in our bird collection

Wed Sep 16 12:08:38 EDT 2020

Ariel,

While this is not directly addressing sources of moisture from within the cabinets, we’ve found (and Rob will remember) that normal, regular floor cleaning within the collection rooms was a significant source of moisture within the rooms.

Being in a new building, we also wanted to keep it nice and clean. Maintenance staff would typically come in with their bucket of warm soapy water and big mop and leave the cleaned floor with quite a bit of water remaining on the surface. This water would also get under the cabinets. This was particularly critical for cabinets sitting directly on the floor. While we did not observe mould on our specimens, our cleaner are now instructed to thoroughly wring their mop to leave as little water as possible on the surfaces.

Do keep us informed of your conclusions and remediation approaches.

Cheers,

Jean-Marc

Jean-Marc Gagnon, Ph.D.
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From: Nhcoll-l [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Erin Cashion
Sent: September 16, 2020 10:54 AM
To: neumann at snsb.de; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [EXT]Re: [Nhcoll-l] Mold in our bird collection

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Hi Ariel,

Your post is of particular interest to me as my institution had a mold outbreak in one of our buildings containing history objects a few years ago due to an HVAC leak, and it was a nightmare (and $$$) to remediate. We will soon be constructing a new collections facility, and I’m keen to avoid a similar scenario.

I agree with Rob and Dirk and suggest you first consider all possible sources of the dampness coming from inside the cabinets and work to eliminate it.

Consider how the specimens were handled, wrapped, stored, and transported between the time it was in the old facility and relocated to the new facility (and the conditions they encountered during that time). Given your description of the mold bloom on the specimens it seems possible that tissues may have rehydrated to some degree, and are themselves the source the moisture. How were the specimens prepared – are they traditional study skins, or freeze dried? Are they stored individually in plastic sleeves or boxes, or laid out on the drawers?

Some other questions for consideration:
-Prior to the discovery of the mold outbreak, how much time had passed since those specimens were last viewed or used for research?
-Are the specimens stored below ground level? If so, is the surrounding substrate consistently damp?
-What about the cabinets themselves? Are they made of wood or metal? How were they transported and stored during the collections move? What are the shelf lining materials made of, could they be harboring moisture?

In addition to cleaning the mold off of the specimens as Ellen suggested with isopropyl and a HEPA vac (if the specimens are not too friable for vacuuming), I recommend placing trays of a granular indicator dessicant in ALL of your specimen cabinets and changing/recharging it as needed until the source of the moisture is identified and addressed. Prevention is key to keep the mold from gaining a foothold in the rest of the collection while you address the current outbreak.

If you have access to an industrial freeze drier, you could also cycle the specimens through it to remove any residual moisture; however this is a more energy-intensive option.

Wishing you the best,
Erin

Erin B. Cashion, Curator of Natural History
Ohio History Connection
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From: Nhcoll-l [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Dirk Neumann
Sent: Wednesday, September 16, 2020 3:42 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Mold in our bird collection

Hi Ariel,

concur with Rob; closed metal cabinets (compared to wooden ones - with different pros and cons) are perfect to trap and maintain unsuited microclimates. Damp material definitely is a source, unwanted RH and temperature fluctuations as they may occur in a new storage building during calibration of the new climate control systems could have been another potential source. Also any form of moisture released from the new building itself (e.g. from the concrete, walls, paint, etc.).

With best wishes
Dirk

Am 15.09.2020 um 23:16 schrieb Robert Waller:
Hi Ariel,
It seems extraordinary to have mold growth at the conditions you mention (40-42%RH and 64-68°F).
Can you be certain that wet or damp materials have not been placed within the cabinets? In my experience a small amount of damp material in a metal cabinet can raise the RH to 100% for days to weeks.
Rob

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu><mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of ELLEN PEARLSTEIN
Sent: Tuesday, September 15, 2020 4:29 PM
To: Gaffney, Ariel M <ariel_gaffney at fws.gov><mailto:ariel_gaffney at fws.gov>
Cc: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Mold in our bird collection

Hello!

Please do not irradiate these collections with UV, which will destroy the keratin! Also, ammonia or any high pH solution can displace and destroy biopigments. Often for major outbreaks, a fume cupboard can be created or rented, and collections should be vacuumed with a HEPA vacuum and swabbed with isopropanol. Operators should be using PPE. Collections should be returned to a dry climate (RH at 40% +/- 5) onto shelves that have been disinfected.

Hope this helps!
Ellen

Ellen Pearlstein
Professor

UCLA Information Studies
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On Tue, Sep 15, 2020 at 1:10 PM Gaffney, Ariel M <ariel_gaffney at fws.gov<mailto:ariel_gaffney at fws.gov>> wrote:

Our collection here at the National Fish & Wildlife Forensic Laboratory is experiencing an unprecedented mold outbreak in our bird collection and we could use some advice about mold removal and cleaning while protecting the specimens.

A few weeks ago we found two cabinets with mold growth, some skins were nearly encased in a thin mold film. The specimens with obvious mold growth were moved to the freezer, then cleaned with a cotton swab dipped in ammonia. All other specimens were placed in a hood with a UV light for 24 hours. The drawers were cleaned with ammonia and then a UV light was placed inside the cabinet for 24 hours.

We have now discovered more cabinets with mold. Has anyone encountered large-scale mold outbreak in their collection? How did you handle cleaning?

From what I've read, UV light exposure will kill the mold and won't necessarily harm the specimens unless exposed to UV light for an extensive period of time.
Is ammonia the best way of cleaning specimens? Should we be using Ethanol or another solution for the specimens with visible mold growth?

How would you wipe down/rid the bird skins of mold growing on them? Damp rag with ethanol? Cotton swabs?

This is a brand new facility built in the last year. The humidity in the building ranges from 40-42% and the temperature is kept from 64-68 F. We put in dehumidifiers this week to try and drop the humidity even further and are considering an anti-fungal fogger. If anyone has had experience with any of these foggers, we'd appreciate your insight.

Any/all advice would be appreciated.

Thank you,

Ariel Gaffney

---
Ariel M. Gaffney, M.Sc.
Forensic Scientist / Ornithologist
Office of Law Enforcement
National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Laboratory
1490 E. Main Street
Ashland, OR  97520

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