[NHCOLL-L:3472] Re: the odor of PDB & respirators

[Victoria Book]

Hi Leishawn,

I will leave the PDB question to someone else, but I think that PDB 
works by subliming so you may be stuck with the odor in the orphaned 
collection.  Fans might help in other areas.  About respirators, any 
NIOSH approved respirator is good, but the preference is very personal 
and depends on the shape of your face and how your face moves when you 
talk or make facial expressions.  You and anyone helping will need to 
be "fit-tested" for the style that works for you each individually.

You will need to try several different brands and sizes.  Universities 
have health and safety officers that have a large selection of 
respirators on hand that they can test, but if you aren't at a 
university you may have to find a local resource to do the OSHA 
fit-test.  Anyone (including you!) can do a fit test, but not everyone 
has a selection of respirators handy.

Be safe,
Victoria

Victoria Book
Conservator
Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History
University of Oklahoma
2401 Chautauqua Avenue
Norman, Oklahoma   73072-7029
phone 405.325.5163
fax 405.325.7699
www.snomnh.ou.edu

On Jun 21, 2007, at 10:22 AM, Leishawn Spotted Bear wrote:

>
> Howdy,
>  
> We have recently acquired an orphaned collection from a local 
> university.  The curator has moved all twenty-four cabinets into our 
> new off-site storage facility, and during the move, vacuumed out PDB 
> crystals from each unit.  So… as expected, the resonating PDB odor is 
> so strong that it has permeated our “room”, and has traveled to the 
> adjacent room which houses artifacts.  We will have staff that will be 
> working in both rooms to re-shelve specimens and artifacts, and as I 
> just found out, “we” will be inventorying the orphaned collection. 
>  
> Is there something I can do to alleviate the odor – would activated 
> charcoal work or any other methods recommended?
> Also, I am looking into full-face respirators to use while working 
> with the PDB’d orphaned collection – is there a specific respirators 
> you all like?
>  
> Any advice would be greatly appreciated,
> ~ Leishawn
>  
>  
> Leishawn Spotted Bear
> Assistant Curator of Science
> Fort Worth Museum of Science and History
> 1501 Montgomery Street
> Fort Worth, Texas 76107
> 817-255-9323
>  
>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: text/enriched
Size: 2933 bytes
Desc: not available
Url : http://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/private/nhcoll-l/attachments/20070621/0a6cd018/attachment.bin