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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hi Tonya (and John and Simon ;-)</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">concur with John and Simon, specimens
should be kept in 70%; Simon pointed to the diluting effects and
the image below nicely illustrates this: even if you use more
steps for transferring specimens (0/20/40/60/80 vs. 20/30/50/70),
tissues are still soaked with 60% or less high concentrated EtOH.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Depending on size, body mass and number
of specimens (i.e. amount of tissue in the jar), the effect can be
considerable (see "staining" in the images below; in the left one,
body fluids released from these tall whitefish are indicated by
the reddish haemoglobin stain at the bottom of the jar, the
overall greenish colour in the right comes from chlorophyll
released from the guts of these herbivorous distichodus fish).</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">I do the initial filling usually with
73-75% EtOH to reach 70%; aside from vertebrates high EtOH
concentrations can be an issue in malaise traps because there the
specimens usually are collected over several days or weeks in
96-80% EtOH. As Simon pointed out this quickly dehydrates
specimens and weakens the joints holding all the antennae,
appendices, bristles of invertebrates. Another issue is that in
unsorted malaise trap samples there often is a thick deposit of
specimens at the bottom of the container. Because the diluted less
high concentrated ethanol is heavier, it layers at the bottom of
the jar (cf. whitefish jar). Inside malaise trap containers, this
diluted EtOH may get trapped in the thick specimen deposit.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Usually, I leave jars for few day to
see if there are any unwanted effects before moving them into the
collection.<br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hope this is useful, with best wishes</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Dirk<br>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><img
src="cid:part1.26E6ED17.3DF3B07B@snsb.de" alt=""></div>
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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Am 07.05.2021 um 00:17 schrieb Simon
Moore:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:509A49C5-8658-4BB5-A3A3-F39B3ECB5609@btinternet.com">
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
Thanks John and Tonya,
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">What John says is true about the staging of alcohols
and the final concentrations. 80% was what I was advised at the
NHM in London when I worked there and by the time larger
terrestrial vertebrates ‘end up’ in 80%, you will often find
that with the mix of lower grade alcohols from the staging
process, once things have settled down / equilibrated, then the
net result is around 70% anyway. Higher grade alcohols can
lead to embrittlement of certain tissues as well as evaporation
issues.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">I have also found the staging process necessary for
the more fragile specimens as they undergo changes in Osmotic
pressure during this process which can cause syneresis or
shrinkage in softer tissues.</div>
<div class=""><br class="">
</div>
<div class="">
<div class=""><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size:
12px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal;
font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: auto;
text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none;
white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;
-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width:
0px; text-decoration: none; caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);
color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">With all good wishes, Simon<br
class="">
<br class="">
Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR<br class="">
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,</span><br
class="">
<br class="">
<a href="http://www.natural-history-conservation.com" class=""
moz-do-not-send="true">www.natural-history-conservation.com</a><br
class="">
<br class="">
<span></span><br class="">
<span><img apple-inline="yes"
id="732A14A4-E828-4120-AB8F-DB1BE561FB05"
src="cid:3543D570-FCD3-4F5F-B04C-2A6D3A8D9E27@home"
class="" moz-do-not-send="true"></span><span><img
apple-inline="yes"
id="9D56870F-E4CE-409D-A2CF-576473260A62"
src="cid:part4.BC874CEE.033BABDD@snsb.de" class=""></span><br
class="">
</div>
<br class="">
<blockquote type="cite" class="">On 6 May 2021, at 22:50, John E
Simmons <<a href="mailto:simmons.johne@gmail.com" class=""
moz-do-not-send="true">simmons.johne@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:<br class="">
<br class="">
Tonya,<br class="">
Thank you for your kind words about my book. The
recommendation for staging up to 80% concentration was by made
by my friend Simon Moore, who I cited in that sentence.
In general, I do not recommend using 80% ETOH as a
preservative for terrestrial vertebrates, but rather 70%.
Preservation is alcohol is a trade-off between dehydration of
the specimens and providing them suitable protection against
biological deterioration. At 70%, ETOH is a very good biocide;
below that, not so good, and above 70%, too strong for most
specimens (note that there are some instances in which 80%
might be preferred). <br class="">
<br class="">
I do not recommend using stronger alcohol as a hedge against
evaporation--that leads to uneven concentrations of
preservatives and can be a real mess to work with in
a collection.<br class="">
<br class="">
For how-to instructions on preserving, transferring specimens,
and managing a fluid preserved collection, you might want to
check Herpetological Collecting and
Collections Management (3rd edition, 2015). The instructions
for preserving and managing fluid preserved animals will work
for most other specimens as well as for reptiles and
amphibians.<br class="">
<br class="">
Hope this helps,<br class="">
--John<br class="">
<br class="">
John E. Simmons<br class="">
Writer and Museum Consultant<br class="">
Museologica<br class="">
and<br class="">
Associate Curator of Collections<br class="">
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery<br class="">
Penn State University<br class="">
and<br class="">
Investigador Asociado, Departamento de Ornitologia<br class="">
Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San
Marcos, Lima<br class="">
<br class="">
<br class="">
On Thu, May 6, 2021 at 4:05 PM Haff, Tonya (NCMI, Crace) <<a
href="mailto:Tonya.Haff@csiro.au" class=""
moz-do-not-send="true">Tonya.Haff@csiro.au</a>> wrote:<br
class="">
Hello all,<br class="">
<br class="">
I am enjoying reading John Simmon's fantastic book on fluid
preservation. In it I read one suggestion for stepping
specimens up out of formalin fixative into preservation
alcohol as follows: from 20% ETOH to 40% to 60% and finally to
80%. We typically place our specimens in 70% ETOH, and I know
higher concentrations can cause some problems with specimen
dehydration. All our specimens are terrestrial vertebrates. I
presume the final 80% provides a buffer against ETOH
evaporation or leaching of water from the specimen into the
fluid in the jar, to ensure that the alcohol concentration in
the preservation fluid stays sufficiently high? But to me this
is not quite clear. I wonder if any of you have thoughts on
this, or if you would be willing to share how you step
your specimens up in ETOH? <br class="">
<br class="">
Thank you!<br class="">
<br class="">
Tonya<br class="">
<br class="">
<br class="">
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
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width="152" height="59"></p>
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