[NHCOLL-L:1274] RE: testing fluid solutions

[Simmons, John E]

You can either purchase the prepared strips as an EM Science Formaldehyde
Test Kit:

Lab Safety Supply
PO Box 1368
Janesville, WI 53547-1368
800-356-0783
Safety TechLine 1-800-356-2501
labsafety.com

Or make your own:

Waller, R. and D.E. McAlister.  1986.  A spot test for distinguishing
formalin from alcohol solutions.  Pp. 93-99 in Waddington, J. and D.M.
Rudkin (editors).  Proceedings of the 1985 Workshop on Care and Maintenance
of Natural History Collections.  Life Sciences Miscellaneous Publications,
Royal Ontario Museum.  v + 121 pp.

--John
John E. Simmons
Collection Manager, Natural History Museum
and
Coordinator, Historical Administration and Museum Studies Program
University of Kansas
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, Kansas 66045-7561
Phone 785-864-4508
FAX 785-864-5335
jsimmons at ku.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: Amy Estep [mailto:aestep at ou.edu]
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2001 11:34 AM
To: nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:1273] testing fluid solutions


What method do my fellow fluid collections managers use to distinguish
alcohol from formalin when the solution in a jar is unknown? Preferably,
something less hazardous to my health than nasal analysis *grin*.

I have heard of leuco-basic fuchsin impregnated papers that turn pink
only in formalin.  Can anyone comment on this paper or a better method?

Thanks,
Amy

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Amy D. Estep
Curatorial Specialist in Herpetology
Sam Noble Oklahoma  Museum of Natural History
University of Oklahoma
2401 Chautauqua Avenue
Norman, OK  73072
v:  405-325-1516
f:  405-325-7771
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