[Nhcoll-l] Formalin in exhibition instead of ethanol

[A.J.van_Dam at lumc.nl]

Why not transfer it to non-hazardous and non-volatile glycerin?


I have been involved as consultant in two projects in London and Perth to exhibit in glycerin a 4 meter long marlin and a 5 meter long megamouth shark. I am frequently travelling to Stockholm and we could plan a meeting to talk more about it at your convenience.


This recently published paper in Collection Forum might be of iinterest:

<https://meridian.allenpress.com/collection-forum/article/34/1/118/472750/Finding-A-Cure-for-Hazardous-Collections-The-Road>https://meridian.allenpress.com/collection-forum/article/34/1/118/472750/Finding-A-Cure-for-Hazardous-Collections-The-Road



Kind regards,


Dries

Andries J. van Dam<http://www.linkedin.com/in/andriesvandam> | curator-conservator

Anatomical Museum<https://www.lumc.nl/onderwijs/over-ons/anatomisch-museum/?setlanguage=English&setcountry=en> | Leiden University Medical Center | Building 3 (V3-32)
P.O.Box 9600 | 2300 RC Leiden | The Netherlands
Visiting address: Hippocratespad 21 | Tel: +31 (0)71 52 68356 | E-mail: A.J.van_Dam at lumc.nl<https://mail.lumc.nl/owa/redir.aspx?C=O7wgy__4qEq-bCzDQhMP7IpMG33lsdEIUTcpXTatWwljNFWdpbtnBKj-HeYnbumJrkd3hILExAk.&URL=mailto%3aA.J.van_Dam%40lumc.nl>

Scientific associate | Natural History Museum London | http://www.nhm.ac.uk<https://mail.lumc.nl/owa/redir.aspx?C=O7wgy__4qEq-bCzDQhMP7IpMG33lsdEIUTcpXTatWwljNFWdpbtnBKj-HeYnbumJrkd3hILExAk.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.nhm.ac.uk%2f>
________________________________
Van: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> namens Bo Delling <Bo.Delling at nrm.se>
Verzonden: donderdag 3 februari 2022 12:14:53
Aan: 'nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu'
Onderwerp: [Nhcoll-l] Formalin in exhibition instead of ethanol

Dear all,
Up to recently we had a giant squid Architeuthis sp. in exhibition (“Liv in Vatten” = Life in Water/Aquatic life). It was contained in an aquarium, 80% ethanol (650 liters!). For the moment, we are planning for thorough modernization, i.e. the exhibition will be rebuilt from scratch but we wish to keep the squid. It is very popular. However, we might face problems regarding fire safety regulations and one idea that came up was to transfer the specimen to weak formalin solution (1%).
-Anyone having any experience and perhaps suggestions regarding concentration and suitable buffer?
My limited experience is based on museum specimens (mainly fishes) that previously were in the old NRM exhibitions. I come across them now and then in the scientific collection and according to older documents, the ethanol was replaced with formalin around 1960 because the expense. Anyway, this old exhibition jars with specimens look very nice (except for bleaching of specimens) and the fluid (formalin solution) looks like clear water.
All the best,
Bo


Bo Delling, PhD Ichthyology
Curator of Fishes and Herptiles

Swedish Museum of Natural History
Department of Zoology
Frescativägen 44
P.O. Box 50007
SE-104 05 Stockholm

Phone: +46 85195 4240

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