<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I agree with Andy and Steve, Rob Waller's test strips work very well. <br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">There are commercial formaldehyde test strips available, but they are designed to detect very minute traces of formaldehyde and thus are likely to be triggered by trace amounts of formaldehyde remaining from fixation in specimens stored in alcohol (I know, I have tried this in the lab). In order to test for "10% formalin" (eliminating the positive for trace amounts of formaldehyde) you have to dilute the solution to be tested substantially and do the math. Its really not worth it.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">I have not tried Sadie's hack before but that is a very clever idea--the drawback, of course, is that you are not testing for the presence of formaldehyde with it, just the presence of alcohol. If the alcohol concentration is too low, the Sharpie ink would not run but it would not indicate formaldehyde.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">Another hack you can use (which has the same limitation as Sadie's idea) is check the concentration of the fluid. A "10% formalin" solution is about 96% water; a 70% alcohol solution is 30% water.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)">--John</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif;font-size:small;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr">John E. Simmons<br>Museologica<br>128 E. Burnside Street<br>Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010<br><a href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com" target="_blank">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a><br>303-681-5708<br><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.museologica.com&d=DwMFaQ&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=PWsL2qNgBwvzjmQHQSwAFKh1bpJDSxI6Ws64D4nRQOo&s=1E-I9Od-Mm1cinVzUOuNiZyBkinlBtY6OFHxGoHfQ7Y&e=" target="_blank">www.museologica.com</a><br>and<br>Adjunct Curator of Collections<br>Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br>Penn State University<br>University Park, Pennsylvania<br>and<br>Instructor, Museum Studies<br>School of Library and Information Science<br>Kent State University<br></div></div></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 7:43 PM, Steve Halford <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:halford@sfu.ca" target="_blank">halford@sfu.ca</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">I routinely made up and used Rob's test strips and supplied them to OHS
too. They worked well except for a rather short shelf life. I believe
they were commercially available at one time -- possibly through
University Products?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">Steve.<br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="m_4512452210075145812gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Steve Halford (<a href="mailto:halford@sfu.ca" target="_blank">halford@sfu.ca</a>)<br>Museum Technician (Retired) <br>Department of Biological Sciences<br>Simon Fraser University<br><br></div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote"><div><div class="h5">On Wed, Aug 30, 2017 at 1:23 PM, Sadie Mills <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:Sadie.Mills@niwa.co.nz" target="_blank">Sadie.Mills@niwa.co.nz</a>></span> wrote:<br></div></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div><div class="h5">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Hi Erling and NHColl list,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">A very simple hack for this that we have been using in the NIWA Invertebrate Collection is to cut up some scrap Resistall label paper strips and
put a simple stripe of sharpie permanent marker on it. Dip the strip into the solution, and if it runs you’ve got alcohol, if it doesn’t run you’ve got formalin.
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Simple, but very cheap and effective!<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Cheers,<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Sadie<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<td style="FONT-SIZE:18pt;FONT-FAMILY:Arial;COLOR:#333333" valign="top"><font style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:12pt;color:#1f497d;font-weight:normal">Sadie Mills</font></td>
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<td height="1"><font style="font-family:Calibri;font-size:10pt;color:#1f497d">Marine Biology Technician</font><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif" lang="EN-US"> <a href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.<wbr>edu</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l-bounces@mailm<wbr>an.yale.edu</a>]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Erling Holm<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, 31 August 2017 7:51 AM<span><br>
<b>To:</b> NHCOLL <<a href="mailto:nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu" target="_blank">nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu</a>><br>
<b>Cc:</b> Mary Burridge <<a href="mailto:maryb@rom.on.ca" target="_blank">maryb@rom.on.ca</a>>; Sarah Steele <<a href="mailto:sarah.steele@mail.utoronto.ca" target="_blank">sarah.steele@mail.utoronto.ca</a><wbr>>; Brenna Wells <<a href="mailto:brennaw@rom.on.ca" target="_blank">brennaw@rom.on.ca</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [Nhcoll-l] Test for formalin<u></u><u></u></span></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Is there a quick test to determine if a fluid is formalin vs. ethanol other than the "sniff" test? Are the QUANTOFIX® Formaldehyde strips, which test for formalin up to 200 ppm, useful for determining
solutions of 5-10% formalin?<u></u><u></u></span></p><div><div class="m_4512452210075145812h5">
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
<div id="m_4512452210075145812m_8788244313603105978Signature">
<div id="m_4512452210075145812m_8788244313603105978divtagdefaultwrapper">
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Erling Holm<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Department of Natural History (Ichthyology)<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Royal Ontario Museum<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">100 Queens Park<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Toronto, ON<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">M5S 2C6<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Landlines: <a href="tel:(416)%20586-5760" value="+14165865760" target="_blank">416-586-5760</a> or <a href="tel:(905)%20826-3215" value="+19058263215" target="_blank">905-826-3215</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Mobile: <a href="tel:(416)%20219-4152" value="+14162194152" target="_blank">416-219-4152</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Email: <a href="mailto:erlingh@rom.on.ca" target="_blank">erlingh@rom.on.ca</a><u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black"><u></u> <u></u></span></p>
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<p><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.rom.on.ca_blue-2Dwhale&d=DwMFAw&c=cjytLXgP8ixuoHflwc-poQ&r=LpYc_Z_iN1KRw0hheb3x6-8MJUMu482qfHowpGYJqwc&m=XyO387sagd4lkpOTfQRGakTPYcSuS9mlrRRre4TlWgg&s=6JEhXlaqeyKT58Kd7uP6JIwQI3DeMBxxmvTz-Vzaufg&e=" title="Out of the Depths: The Blue Whale Story" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration:none"><img style="width:4.9479in" id="m_4512452210075145812m_8788244313603105978_x0000_i1025" src="https://www.rom.on.ca/ecommunications/graphics/blue-whale-sig-min.png" alt="Out of the Depths: The Blue Whale Story. Du fond des mers: La baleine bleue" width="475" border="0"></span></a><u></u><u></u></p>
<p><span style="font-size:6.0pt">The ROM gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the Ontario Government for this Ontario150 initiative.<u></u><u></u></span></p>
<p><em><span style="font-size:6.0pt">Le ROM tient à remercier le gouvernement de l’Ontario du soutien financier qu’il apporte à cette initiative du Musée à l’occasion d’Ontario150.</span></em><span style="font-size:6.0pt"><u></u><u></u></span></p>
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