[NHCOLL-L:2033] Moth balls (paradichlorobenzene) in herbaria

[Tom Wendt]

We recently received a return of loaned herbarium specimens from an 
herbarium that obviously uses PDB as part of their insect-control 
protocol.  This has caused a fair amount of work and bother here as 
we try to allow the specimens to "off-fume" before refiling.  I was 
of the impression that almost no major herbaria still use PDB (or 
naphthalene, either) as a fumigant, and that it was quite discouraged 
for health reasons (as well as only moderate efficacy at best).  Are 
there other of you out there who use it routinely?  Any who fairly 
commonly have the problem of returned material with PDB fumes? 
Comments?

Thanks!  Tom
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Tom Wendt, Curator                            tel. 512/471-5904
University of Texas Herbaria (TEX/LL)         fax  512/471-3878
Mailing address:
  The University of Texas at Austin
  Plant Resources Center
  1 University Station F0404    e-mail: twendt at mail.utexas.edu
  Austin, Texas 78712-0471      e-mail (herbarium):
  USA                                 aster280 at uts.cc.utexas.edu
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