[NHCOLL-L:1738] Re: container troubles

[emoore at vmnh.org]

Dear Listers,

After some more investigating, here's what I have found out:

The caps are low density polyethylene.
The manufacturer doesn't know why they would be cracking.  
They were purchased at different times.
I am 100% sure that we have never used pesticides (not even napthalene)in that collection.  Our mammalogist has been here for the history of the collection and would know and is aware of the hazards of using pesticides on those containers.

Thanks.

Elizabeth


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: Cindy Ramotnik <ramotnik at unm.edu>
Date: Wed, 23 Oct 2002 11:27:06 -0600

>  Elizabeth, I have a few thoughts on your question. Have you contacted 
>the manufacturer to find out if they have any ideas what might have 
>caused the lids to crack? Were the containers purchased all at the same 
>time/year or are different times? If the former perhaps you received a 
>"bad batch." The manufacturer might know about this. Also I am curious 
>as to why the lids crack but not the container-- we use plastic skull 
>vials in our collection and have noticed that many have "crazed" 
>(cracked) over time due to past exposure to chemicals like PDB or 
>napthalene. Are you 100% there's no history of pesticide use in the 
>collection?
>
>Good luck,
>Cindy
>
>Cindy Ramotnik
>U.S. Geological Survey
>Museum of Southwestern Biology
>University of New Mexico
>Albuquerque, NM 87131
>
>emoore at vmnh.org wrote:
>
>>Dear fellow listers, 
>>
>>We are having some trouble with platic containers and are hoping that 
>>someone out there might have some information or experience with this thatthey can share. 
>>
>>Our mammalogist currently uses Fisher brand clear polystyrene containers with white opaque lids to hold skeletal materials.  I think the lids are polystyrene as well; it doesn't specify otherwise in the catalog.  These containers and the lids are stored in plastic bins to keep them clean until used. I don't know what kind of plastic the bins are made of, they are the inexpensive plastic storage bins with snap-on lids that you can pick up at any discount store. 
>>
>>Our problem is that the lids to the specimen containers have become 
>>brittle and snap and break when you open the containers.  Even lids that are only a couple of years old are breaking with one time use.  The containers are not breaking. 
>>
>>Is this a problem with polystyrene containers/caps
>> in general?  Could this have been accelerated by storing them in closed plastic bins?  Has anyone else had this happen?  If so, did you figure out why? 
>>
>>We do not use pesticides/insecticides in the collections storage units so there should be no interaction with added chemicals to trigger a reaction. There are also no chemicals used in the specimen prep process.  Tags in the containers are archival/acid free.  The containers and lids are stored in a dark closet until used then as they are filled they are stored in closed specimen cabinets so there is very little exposure to UV.  The storage closet is in a temp controlled lab area so there should be only normal temp fluctuation to affect the containers/lids. 
>>
>>Can anyone think of any other factors that might affect the longevity of these lids?  Has anyone else been using them and, if so, what is your life expectancy with them? 
>> 
>>Thanks for any help you can offer. 
>> 
>>Elizabeth Moore 
>>
>>__________
>>_______________________________________________________ 
>>Dr. Elizabeth Moore 
>>Curator of Collections and Archaeology, Assistant Director for Science and Learning 
>>Virginia Museum of Natural History 
>>1001 Douglas Avenue 
>>Martinsville, VA 24112 
>>emoore at vmnh.org 
>>www.vmnh.org 
>>
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