[NHCOLL-L:4002] RE: Deaccessioning arsenic specimens

[John E Simmons]

Jeff's advice is very good.

Keep in mind that the arsenic inside a taxidermy mount does not become
dangerous unless it migrates through the skin to form a dust or if you cut
the specimen open.
In most cases, arsenic contaminated taxidermy specimens are safe if the dust
can be contained, which means exhibiting them inside sealed cases or storing
them inside polyethylene bags or in a closed cabinet with appropriate
warning labels.  The necessary safety precautions for handling arsenic
contaminated specimens are easy to follow.  The Conserve O Gram on arsenic
in collections may be very useful to you as well.  You can download the PDF
for free:
http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/02-03.pdf

--John

John E. Simmons
Museologica
128 E. Burnside Street
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010
simmons.johne at gmail.com
303-681-5708
and
Adjunct Curator of Collections
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery
Penn State University
19 Deike Building
University Park, Pennsylvania 16802-2709
jes67 at psu.edu

On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 6:55 PM, <Jeff.Stephenson at dmns.org> wrote:

>  Hi Patricia,
>
>
>
> At the Denver Museum, most of the 2,500 bird mounts are positive for
> arsenic.  Arsenic was a common pesticide in use from the early days of
> preparing taxidermy and study skins, and was only formally prohibited in the
> 1970's.  Even then, newer specimens stored with older positive ones have
> tested positive, most likely cross-contaminated by their proximity.  We
> tested 950 loose mounted birds, and 940 of them came back positive.
>
>
>
> Because most of our birds have good data, our Curator here decided that we
> should keep these specimens.  We are currently rehousing them in separate
> cabinets that will have arsenic positive labels on the doors.  Staff,
> volunteers, and visiting researchers are instructed on personal safety
> equipment and required to use these while working with the birds.
>
>
>
> If you should choose to dispose of these mounts, I recommend that your
> first choice be a deaccession and transfer to another institution.  If the
> birds lack data, and you wish to dispose of them, as in throwing them out,
> the specimens would have to be treated as hazardous waste.  You would have
> to contact the hazardous materials people in your city for the local
> regulations; but keep in mind that proper disposal can be quite expensive.
>
>
>
> We have over 1,000 bird mounts on display in enclosed dioramas or display
> cases.
>
>
>
> You shouldn't have to test birds more than once.  In our experience, false
> positives and negatives are rare.
>
>
>
> Thanks,
>
> Jeff Stephenson
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *From:* owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:
> owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] *On Behalf Of *Gegick, Patricia, DCA
> *Sent:* Tuesday, October 14, 2008 3:13 PM
> *To:* NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
> *Subject:* [NHCOLL-L:4000] Deaccessioning arsenic specimens
>
>
>
> Hello All,
>
> Our director has recently requested that we deaccession and dispose of all
> of our taxidermy birds that have tested positive for arsenic.  These
> specimens are currently kept in a separate labeled cabinet, and when
> possible, placed in large zip lock bags.  The highest ppm recorded for any
> specimen was 0.5 -1.0 ppm.  I am curious to know what other museums are
> doing about specimens containing arsenic.  Are they being deaccessioned and
> destroyed?  Are they ever on display in closed cases?  If you keep them, are
> they stored separately?  How often do you test for arsenic?  Thanks much.
>
> Patricia Gegick
>
> .
> .................................................................................
> Patricia Gegick
> Bioscience Collections Manager
> New Mexico Museum of Natural History
> 1801 Mountain Road NW
> Albuquerque, NM  87104-1375
> Phone:  505.841.2867    Fax:  505.841.2866
> email:  pgegick at nmmnh.state.nm.us
> Museum website at www.NMnaturalhistory.org
> ....................................................................
>
> "Every calculation based on experience elsewhere fails in New Mexico."
>
> Lew Wallace, New Mexico Territorial Governor from 1878-1881
>
>             New Mexico, The Land of Enchantment
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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