[Nhcoll-l] Guata / Watte for curation subjects

Thu Oct 7 04:23:39 EDT 2021

Hi Tonya,

If the environmental conditions are good, you should have nothing to worry about.  The experience that I mentioned occurred due to old cotton wool (100 years old) and a rather different formulation I suspect, high RH and the eggs were stored in VOC active wooden cabinets since these were the norm back in the early 1900s in grand houses.

With all good wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,

www.natural-history-conservation.com

> On 6 Oct 2021, at 23:54, Haff, Tonya (NCMI, Crace) <Tonya.Haff at csiro.au> wrote:
> 
> Thanks for this thread, it’s very interesting. The discussion of Byne’s Disease makes me nervous, though, as most of our eggs are on  cotton wool. We are in a very dry environment, and soon to be moving to a site with controlled humidity. I have avoided cushioning eggs with Dacron/polyester batting because it tends to be a bit springier and clingier, and I worried about it getting caught in any rough edges on poorly blown or cracked eggs. I’m curious if any of you have opinions on whether we should be rethinking the use of cotton wool in light of the potential problems with Byne’s Disease?
>  
> Cheers,
>  
> Tonya
>  
> From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Mariana Di Giacomo
> Sent: Thursday, 7 October 2021 3:16 AM
> To: Callomon,Paul <prc44 at drexel.edu>
> Cc: Sergio Montagud <sergio.montagud at gmail.com>; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu; Sergio Montagud <montagudsergio at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Guata / Watte for curation subjects
>  
> Hi Sergio,
>  
> "Guata" is batting, so hopefully it is polyester batting, although you should ask just to be safe. For short term transport it is ok but make sure that if they're using this material for permanent storage, that it is placed correctly because eggs are so light that they can spring if the batting is compressed. Another thing to keep in mind is if you have broken eggs, because the batting can get caught in the cracks, so whoever is manipulating these, should be very careful. In short, it is an acceptable material with certain caveats that you should examine for your specific case.
>  
> Let me know if you have any other questions, estoy a las órdenes.
> Best,
> Mariana
> 
> Mariana Di Giacomo, PhD
> Natural History Conservator, Yale Peabody Museum
> Associate Editor, Collection Forum, SPNHC 
> Secretary/Communications APOYOnline
>  
>  
>  
> El mié, 6 oct 2021 a las 12:09, Callomon,Paul (<prc44 at drexel.edu>) escribió:
> Hi Sergio,
>  
> “Watte” is the Japanese word for cotton wool, so I think it’s an international term. If they are using polyester batting (sold for stuffing pillows, toys etc.) then there’s no problem. Short-term use of cotton wool is also OK, but it is not suitable for long-term storage in closed environments as it is cellulose and can thus (theoretically at least) cause “Byne’s Disease” in calcium compounds.
> https://conchologistsofamerica.org/bynes-disease-questions-and-answers/
>  
>  
> Paul Callomon
> Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates
> Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University
> 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
> prc44 at drexel.edu Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170
>  
>  
>  
> From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Sergio Montagud
> Sent: Wednesday, October 6, 2021 11:27 AM
> To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> Cc: Sergio Montagud <montagudsergio at gmail.com>
> Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Guata / Watte for curation subjects
>  
> External.
> 
> Hi everyone,
>  
> Yesterday, a company that helps us to transport specimens for a coming exposition, come to the museum to prepare all the material. I help them in the process and when we want to arrange a large box of bird eggs, I see they wanted to use a thing close to the cotton to ensure the samples. They told me that that material was "Guata" (I think watte in English), and I can use it extremely well to ensure individual each egg on his box. My question is if anybody has used this material in his museum work and if somebody knows negative effects for the specimens, such as acid components in the fiber that can damage thespecimens or something like that.
> Thanks for help!
> 
> Sergio
>  
> Sergio Montagud
> Museu [UV] Història Natural
> 
> Universitat de València
> 
> C/. Dr. Moliner, 50
> 
> E-46100 Burjassot (Valencia). Spain
> 
>  
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