[Nhcoll-l] Mold on specimens (skeletal, taxidermy) and cardboard boxes

Tue Sep 27 07:18:09 EDT 2022

Hello all,

Yes - isopropanol is widely used in microscopy and histology. Mainly
because the dehydrating effect of pure isopropanol (> 99%) is
somewhat better than ethanol and it evaporates faster and without
residues than (denatured) ethanol. In older European literature
on microscopy, isopropanol is often referred as "Optal".

But in the study I mentioned on mold on paper, however, it was shown
that the fungicidal effect of ethanol is  somewhat better
than that of isopropanol.

Best wishes
Joachim

--  
Joachim Haendel

Center of Natural Sciences Collections
of the Martin Luther University
- Entomological Collection -

Domplatz 4
D-06099 Halle (Saale)
Germany

Phone:  +49 345 - 55 26 447
Fax:  +49 345 - 55 27 248

Email: joachim.haendel at zns.uni-halle.de

>>> Sergio Montagud <sergio.montagud at gmail.com> 27.09.2022, 11:21 >>>

Hello all,

Thanks for all information apport here. I see the ethanol treatment is
the best practice recommended for clean the specimens.

Some years ago someone tell me that for clean the lenses and
photographic material he employed isopropanol (2-propanol 99,9%). 
The technicians that work with electronics gadgets use it regularly for
cleaning. It seems that the isopropanol can clean very
similar than ethanol but it evaporates more quickly because is all pure
(99%) and no water residual can oxidate the metal and
electronic contacts.

Since then, I use it regularly for clean my photographic material with
best results. And one year ago we had a mold problem in the
museum with a bird eggs collection. I used the isopropanol with a clean
tisú paper to wash the egg surfaces and all gone Ok. No
molds growth again and the eggs are very very clean. Also I use the
isopropanol to clean insects before photografied.

Profit this subject, someone knows is the isopropanol can affect some
tissue or detailed material in natural history collections?

Best wishes

Sergio

De: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> en nombre de Joachim
Händel <Joachim.Haendel at zns.uni-halle.de>
Fecha: lunes, 26 de septiembre de 2022, 16:20
Para: couteaufin at btinternet.com <couteaufin at btinternet.com>,
christopher_evelyn at ucsb.edu <christopher_evelyn at ucsb.edu>
CC: wahlert at ccber.ucsb.edu <wahlert at ccber.ucsb.edu>,
nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu <nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>, seltmann at ucsb.edu
<seltmann at ucsb.edu>
Asunto: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Mold on specimens (skeletal, taxidermy) and
cardboard boxes

Hello all,

There is a study on mold on paper. (University of applied sciences and
art Hildesheim, Study of Conservation and Restoration)
It says that 70% ethanol must be used, 

The 30% water content transports the alcohol into the fungal cell, the
proteins in the membrane are denatured and the metabolism
of the molds is prevented.
With higher percentage alcohol (> 70%), the water concentration is too
low for transport into the cell.

It was also shown that spraying with 70 % alcohol does not work.
Apparently, the alcohol evaporates too quickly to enter the
cells. At worst, additional mold growth may even occur due to the high
water content. A bath in 70% alcohol was most effective.

As I said - the study refers to mold on paper, but probably also applies
to bones or e.g. insect specimens.

Good luck
Joachim

--  

Joachim Haendel

Center of Natural Sciences Collections
of the Martin Luther University
- Entomological Collection -

Domplatz 4
D-06099 Halle (Saale)
Germany

Phone:  +49 345 - 55 26 447
Fax:  +49 345 - 55 27 248

Email: joachim.haendel at zns.uni-halle.de

>>> Simon Moore <couteaufin at btinternet.com> 20.09.2022, 18:12 >>>
Hi Chris,

You’ll probably get many responses over this.

If the shells are robust enough, then a light spray with 70% ethanol
will loosen and neutralise the mould so that it can be wiped
away but if it has somewhat destabiand clean, then a light dressing with something like 10% (emulsion of)
Optimalin will prevent the scutes from drying and
delaminating. Bear in mid that Optimalin is an oil used in taxidermy but
is much too sticky per se, hence the reason I dilute it.
The water then slowly evaporates away allowing the oil to penetrate just
far enough into the organic layers without leaving a
sticky and dust-attractant residue.

With all good wishes, Simon

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

www.natural-history-conservation.com

> On 20 Sep 2022, at 16:32, Chris Evelyn <christopher_evelyn at ucsb.edu>
wrote:
>
> Hello all,
>
> We have a pretty serious mold issue. Everything in the room has some
mold. The jars and surfaces can be cleaned but a few items
are trickier so I'd love some feedback:
>
> 1) Skeletal specimens (will 10% bleach solution work?)
> 2) taxidermy specimens (will 10% bleach work?)
> 3) cardboard boxes with small specimens (replace the boxes or just
clean them off?) I
>
> Attached are some images of the current situation.
>
> Thank you for your assistance!
>
> Chris
>
> Christopher J. Evelyn
> Vertebrate Curatorial Manager & Asst. Researcher
> Cheadle Center for Biodiversity and Ecological Restoration
> University of California Santa Barbara
> Ancestral Lands of the Coastal Band of the Chumash Nation
> <turtle shell mold.JPG><Turtle taxidermy
mold.JPG><Turtle_skull_mold.JPG>_______________________________________________
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> Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
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>
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NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
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natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.
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