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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-AU link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Hi Megan,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>When upgrading our sprit stores some years ago now, we were required to separate our collections stored in alcohol from those stored in Formalin for fire and safety compliance reasons. In short a fire in an alcohol store is a hazard but a fire in a store with formalin is a toxic hazard. This was a huge undertaking given the size of our spirit collections so we had to find a quick and simple testing procedure.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>A range of techniques was tested including differing light properties, pH, specific test strips, reactive paper as well as the use of a hydrometer. These techniques were dismissed either due to the inefficiency of the system or the relative costs involved. After a short time, it was brought to light that a method employing a pipette with an ampulla containing a float (plastic pinhead) had been used in the Australian Museum for the same purpose. It was difficult to replicate this equipment exactly but we found that a 5 cc syringe with a pinhead inside served exactly the same function but was both faster and easier. This method worked with 100% success in differentiating between the two solutions and was therefore adopted as the preferred method of sampling for all collections.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>We could not sample every specimen jar so we selected the most likely groups that were stored in formalin, such as soft bodied animals, and fully tested them. For the rest we sampled statistically to confirm likely makeup.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>Best of luck<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=499 style='width:374.25pt'><tr><td width=499 valign=top style='width:374.25pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><br></span><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'>Robert Morris</span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><br><b>Head of Collections</b><br><b>South Australian Museum</b><br>North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5000<br>P: +61 (8) 8207 7455 <br></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><a href="mailto:robert.morris@samuseum.sa.gov.au"><span style='color:blue'>robert.morris@samuseum.sa.gov.au</span></a><br><a href="http://www.samuseum.sa.gov.au/"><span style='color:blue'>www.samuseum.sa.gov.au</span></a></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=499 valign=bottom style='width:374.25pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><br></span><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><img border=0 width=239 height=77 id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.png@01CF39EA.92E2EEB0"></span><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td width=499 valign=bottom style='width:374.25pt;padding:0cm 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><br></span><i><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#7F7F7F'>This email and any attachments may contain confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient any use, disclosure or reproduction of the contents is unauthorised. If you have received this email in error please notify the sender by return email. This email and any attachments should be scanned to detect any viruses and no liability for loss or damage resulting from the use of any attached file is accepted.</span></i><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#7F7F7F'><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0cm 0cm 0cm'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span lang=EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Best, Megan<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, 7 March 2014 12:33 AM<br><b>To:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br><b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] Telling formalin from ethanol<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Hello all,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>I’ve been benefitting from the conversations on this listserv for some time now,</span><span lang=EN-CA> </span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>really fascinating and useful stuff.</span><span lang=EN-CA> </span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> I manage a research collection, mostly of marine invertebrates, and I have a question:</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Is there an easy way to tell if</span><span lang=EN-CA> </span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>a fixative is formalin or ethanol? </span><span lang=EN-CA> </span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>Aside from the smell test!</span><span lang=EN-CA> </span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'> I’m looking to organise</span><span lang=EN-CA> </span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>hundreds of jars from various benthic surveys, and we want to switch out anything that’s in formalin to ethanol. The formalin is buffered so I don’t think a pH difference would be a strong indicator. Any ideas/advice would be appreciated.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'>-Megan</span><o:p></o:p></p><p><b><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:green'>Megan Best</span></b><span lang=EN-CA style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><span style='color:green'>Invertebrate Taxonomy</span><br></span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:green'>tel: 902.426.2791 email: <a href="mailto:megan.best@dfo-mpo.gc.ca">megan.best@dfo-mpo.gc.ca</a></span><span lang=EN-CA><br></span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:green'>Ocean and Ecosystem Sciences Division | Division des sciences de l'écosystème et de la mer</span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><br><span style='color:green'>Department of Fisheries and Oceans | Ministère des Pêches et Oceans</span></span><span lang=EN-CA><br></span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:green'>Government of Canada | Government du Canada</span><span lang=EN-CA><br></span><span lang=EN-CA style='font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:green'>Bedford Institute of Oceanography | Institut Océanographique de Bedford</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>