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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Hi Mackenzie,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">We have had to deal with quite a few specimens that were preserved in Bouin’s solution (many older marsupial pouch young and the like).
Some of them had crystalised picric acid around the neck or lid of the jar. When that happened and the jars had plastic ‘pop top’ lids, we submerged the entire jar under water for a few days, and then slowly opened the lids under water. As the risk is of friction
and spark/heat, we deemed this very low risk. We then transferred to ethanol and Dirk’s suggestions there are excellent. We had a few jars that had metal lids, with dried picric acid around the rim. We chose to dispose of most of those (luckily very few and
actually mostly not registered specimens), rather than have staff risk the potential friction of opening those jars.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">I have always been very curious as to what the chances are of there being enough friction in the opening of a metal/glass jar lid
to cause an explosion/reaction with picric acid – I know it’s scary stuff, but I’ve heard varying accounts in terms of museum jar lids. I’d be curious to hear if anyone else here knows more detail?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Cheers,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><br>
Tonya</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">------------------------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Dr Tonya Haff<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Senior Collection Manager<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Australian National Wildlife Collection<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">National Research Collections Australia, CSIRO<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">Canberra, ACT 2602 Australia<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-ligatures:standardcontextual">+61(0)419569109<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-US">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces@mailman.yale.edu>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Dirk Neumann<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, 5 March 2025 8:11 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> nhcoll-l@mailman.yale.edu<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Insights on Dealing with Pitric Acid<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi Mackenzie,<span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:106%"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">besides the normal risk of specimens in Bouin/picric acid - which you surely are ware off, there is not so much different compared to other transfers from a water-based fixative into ethanol; except having a close look at the neck/lids
of the jar to check for the formation of any (picric acid) crystals.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Because (usually small) specimens have been sitting in a quite acidic solution for long time, the tissues usually are weak when you start your transfer. This means, you probably should not leaven them for too long in water to remove most
of the Bouin in a first step. Also, it might be worth considering smaller steps when ascending the alcohol ladder - again, depending on which specimens you move and how big they are.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Assuming that you are moving fish, and depending on how large they are, you can either do the normal 20/40/60/70, or, in smaller or more fragile specimens, you can gradually pull them up, i.e. adding 20% EtOH 5-6 times a day, then discard
the 20% with the Bouin, replace with fresh 20%, continue to add 40% until you reach 40%, etc. This would be the preferred option for fish larvae, for example, where you want to avoid sudden osmotic changes and osmotic shock.<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hope this helps<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Dirk<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Am 04.03.2025 um 15:41 schrieb Mackenzie Helane Kinney:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-GB">Hello!</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-GB">I am wondering if anyone has any experience and/or recommendations on how to transfer specimens out of pitric acid. Suggestions concerning both the preservation
of the specimen as well as any safety precautions are welcomed! </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-GB">Thanks in advance,
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-GB">Mackenzie</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span lang="EN-GB"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:106%;font-family:Assistant;color:#3A3A3A;mso-fareast-language:DA">Mackenzie Kinney, PhD</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-line-height-alt:8.0pt">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Assistant;color:#3A3A3A;mso-fareast-language:DA">Collection Manager for Icthyology<br>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Assistant;color:#3A3A3A;mso-fareast-language:DA">Natural History Museum of Denmark</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Assistant;color:#3A3A3A;mso-fareast-language:DA"><br>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
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<o:p></o:p></p>
<pre>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></pre>
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<pre>_______________________________________________<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose<o:p></o:p></pre>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal">-- <span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">****</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Dirk Neumann</span></b><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;color:#008669">of Biodiversity Change</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0cm;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif">Dirk Neumann</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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