<div dir="ltr">Hi Kirsten, <div><br></div><div>I can see their point--since we're not the ones applying the arsenic anymore, the dangers are quite different than in the past. I worked in one museum where specimens on open display had arsenic and we weren't concerned for the public safety because they weren't licking them (or, uh, well, they weren't supposed to be). The risk was so small. </div>
<div><br></div><div>However, I've also worked with collections that had a variety of pesticides added and I developed rashes on exposed areas of skin. I don't think that it harmed me in the long run, but I had to suit up each day in lab coat, gloves, and <span class="" style>tyvex</span> sleeves (I had been missing the sleeves the day of the rashes). </div>
<div><br></div><div>Even <span class="" style>Montagu</span> Browne, a taxidermist who wrote practical manuals in 1884 and 1896 discouraged the use of arsenic because even "a single particle under a fingernail will aggravate" (pg 64). He also was skeptical that adding arsenic would deter pests. He was right--although many collections are pristine because of pesticides, I have seen an entire (forgotten about) collegiate ornithology collection eaten, despite the fact that the remains tested positive for arsenic and mercury. </div>
<div><br></div><div>I'll still wear my <span class="" style>PPE</span>. </div><div><br></div><div>Fran </div><div><br></div><div><font color="#666666">[references: Browne, <span class="" style>Montagu</span>. 1884. Practical Taxidermy: a manual of
instruction to the amateur in collecting, preserving, and setting up natural history
specimens of all kinds. To which is added a chapter upon the pictorial arrangement of
museums. London: L. <span class="" style>Upcott</span> Gill, London and County Printing Works. (Available on-line <a href="http://www">http://www</a>.<span class="" style>gutenberg</span>.org/files/26014/26014-h/26014-h.<span class="" style>htm</span>#Toc178253673) </font></div>
<p class=""><font color="#666666">Browne, <span class="" style>Montagu</span>. 1896. Artistic and Scientific Taxidermy
and Modeling: a manual of instruction in the methods of reserving and reproducing
the correct form of all natural objects, including a chapter on the modeling of foliage.
London: Adam and Charles Black.]</font></p><p class=""><font color="#666666"><br></font></p><p class=""><font color="#666666"><br></font></p><p class=""></p><div><br></div><div><br>
</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 1:58 PM, Brown, Matthew A <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:matthewbrown@utexas.edu" target="_blank">matthewbrown@utexas.edu</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">Related to Kirsten's question, I've recently had similar conversations with our Environmental Health and Safety people regarding radon exposure. Radon test kits placed in some of our cabinets have yielded test results 60x EPA action levels. Yet, when our Radiation Safety office came out to look at it, the inspector had virtually no concerns. He stated that we'd have to live in the cabinet before he'd be worried about it. That didn't really reassure me, but seems to be the consensus among our EHS team. I still ask my staff to take reasonable precautions when working with hot material.<br>
<br>
Best,<br>
<br>
Matt<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
Matthew A. Brown<br>
Laboratory Manager, Vertebrate Paleontology Collections<br>
Lecturer, Department of Geosciences<br>
The University of Texas at Austin<br>
R7600, Austin, TX 78758<br>
Lab:<a href="tel:%28512%29232-5516" value="+15122325516">(512)232-5516</a><br>
Office:<a href="tel:%28512%29232-5515" value="+15122325515">(512)232-5515</a><br>
<a href="mailto:matthewbrown@utexas.edu">matthewbrown@utexas.edu</a><br>
<a href="http://webspace.utexas.edu/mab4775/www" target="_blank">webspace.utexas.edu/mab4775/www</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On Feb 26, 2014, at 8:10 AM, Kirsten Nicholson <<a href="mailto:norops@gmail.com">norops@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<br>
> I have a related question to this arsenic thread. Our OSHA and Safety people on campus told me when we were arsenic testing and had concerns that there is very little information available on dermal toxicity of arsenic. In their minds, therefore, since we weren't using it ourselves or at risk of ingesting it or inhaling it, then there wasn't much concern from their standpoint. I mentioned that (at that time) we had discovered some contaminated specimens in our teaching collection (they were enclosed in tubes, but still; we've replaced them with clean specimens) and that we were concerned that folks might handle the birds and then either eat afterwards or whatever, and they seemed relatively unconcerned, claiming that an individual would have to consume a large amount of arsenic to be affected.<br>
><br>
> Can anybody speak to this? Clearly we're all concerned in the museum world for containing affected specimens, yet our health officials really aren't concerned.<br>
><br>
> Thanks,<br>
><br>
> Kirsten<br>
><br>
><br>
> On Tue, Feb 25, 2014 at 9:21 AM, Lena Hernandez <<a href="mailto:LHernandez@themosh.org">LHernandez@themosh.org</a>> wrote:<br>
><br>
><br>
> Hi all,<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Recently I attempted testing for arsenic in the mounted specimens of our collection. My issues, that I hope some of you can help with, is that I am getting a negative result on specimens that I am sure have arsenic. Has anyone else run into this problem? If so how did you solve it? I am following the protocol developed by NPS in their Conserve-o-Gram 2/3 and using Hach’s arsenic test kit, since the one recommended by NPS is no longer made. Any suggestions would be most welcome. Feel free to contact me off list if you would prefer.<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Lena Hernandez<br>
><br>
> Collections Manager/Registrar<br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> Museum of Science and History<br>
><br>
> 1025 Museum Circle<br>
><br>
> Jacksonville, FL 32207<br>
><br>
> <a href="tel:%28904%29396-6674%20x212" value="+19043966674">(904)396-6674 x212</a><br>
><br>
> <a href="mailto:lhernandez@themosh.org">lhernandez@themosh.org</a><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> _______________________________________________<br>
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><br>
><br>
><br>
><br>
> --<br>
> Kirsten E. Nicholson, Ph.D<br>
><br>
> Assoc. Prof. Biology and Curator of Natural History<br>
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> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<br>
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose<br>
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of<br>
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> society. See <a href="http://www.spnhc.org" target="_blank">http://www.spnhc.org</a> for membership information.<br>
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_______________________________________________<br>
NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<br>
Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose<br>
mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of<br>
natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to<br>
society. See <a href="http://www.spnhc.org" target="_blank">http://www.spnhc.org</a> for membership information.<br>
</blockquote></div><br></div>