<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<style>
<!--
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri}
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline}
span.EmailStyle17
{font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext}
.MsoChpDefault
{}
@page WordSection1
{margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in}
div.WordSection1
{}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Hello all,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We have encountered a phenomenon in our fossil collections where a few specimens have developed a blue/green discolouration, either on the surface of the fossil itself or in the surrounding rock. I’ve just read a paper describing the same
thing happening to flints at the Natural History Museum in Verona (Tapparo et al., 2011, “The mystery of the discoloured flints. New molecules turn prehistoric lithic artifacts blue” in Journal of Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Vol 399 (7) pp.2389
– 2393). </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Basically, it seems that volatiles from certain plastics and/or rubbers react to cause the formation of a blue or green stain on the surface of the object and its surrounding matrix.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I’m wondering if anybody has seen this occur in other collections? It requires a very particular set of circumstances so I’m assuming it would be quite rare?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cheers,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Rhian Russell</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Conservation Technician</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology,</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Box 7500, Drumheller, Alberta T0J 0Y0</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Phone: (403) 823 7707 Ext. 3306</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">E-mail: <a href="mailto:rhian.russell@gov.ab.ca"><span style="color:blue">rhian.russell@gov.ab.ca</span></a></span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
</div>
This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This message contains confidential
information and is intended only for the individual named. If you are not the named addressee you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail.
</body>
</html>