[Nhcoll-l] hypersensitivity to denatured alcohol

[John E Simmons]

I don't know what the regulations are in New Zealand, but in the US the
chemical companies are permitted to re-use barrels for alcohol so you may
also have trace amounts of other chemicals besides fixatives and methanol
in the alcohol.

If you drink even moderately at home, this can have synergistic effect on
absorbing alcohol in the work place by increasing your total body burden of
alcohol exposure.

It is very difficult to narrow down specific chemical exposures in a
laboratory situation.  You can have a health and safety person bring in a
sniffer device to test for airborne amounts of alcohol.  Keep in mind that
things are not always what they seem--in a museum I used to work in, we had
alcohol-preserved specimens stored in a building that had offices on the
top floor.  The workers in the office complained that the "formaldehyde
fumes" were making them sick.  I was dubious because none of the containers
had formaldehyde in them, I detected no alcohol odor in storage, and the
office was on the floor above collection storage (alcohol fumes are heavier
than air so should not move up).  The university health and safety office
brought over his "sniffer" device and tested the air for alcohol
vapors--our collection rooms were clean.  We had no measurable leakage of
alcohol (or any other fumes) at all.  BUT...further investigation found a
dead bird in the air conditioner that served the office.  People in the
office assumed the odor was from the collection because they knew it was
there.

Another thing you might do is have an industrial hygienist evaluate your
symptoms to identify all possible chemicals or other stimuli that could
cause them.  It is possible that the onset of your symptoms just happened
to coincide with the use of denatured alcohol in the lab.

You might also take a look at the new book from SPNHC, "Health & Safety for
Museum Professionals."

If you don't mind my asking, why did your lab make the decision to change
to denatured alcohol?  Most of us avoid using it because of the risk of
contaminating our specimens.

--John

 John E. Simmons
Museologica
128 E. Burnside Street
Bellefonte, Pennsylvania 16823-2010
simmons.johne at gmail.com
303-681-5708
www.museologica.com
and
Adjunct Curator of Collections
Earth and Mineral Science Museum & Art Gallery
Penn State University
University Park, Pennsylvania
and
Lecturer in Art
Juniata College
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania

On Wed, Feb 20, 2013 at 9:51 AM, Dietrich, Elizabeth <DIETRICH at si.edu>wrote:

> Yes, people can become allergic to alcohol, you should consult your doctor
> or an allergist.  We have a least one employee at our facility who has a
> doctor’s order to stay away from alcohol, fortunately not one of the staff
> who works with it daily.   But also keep in mind, if you have specimens
> that were fixed in formalin first and then transferred to alcohol, there is
> always residual formalin present and that is an allergen for many people as
> well as an irritant and carcinogen even at low levels.****
>
> ** **
>
> *From:* nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:
> nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] *On Behalf Of *Kareen Schnabel
> *Sent:* Monday, February 18, 2013 5:35 PM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* [Nhcoll-l] hypersensitivity to denatured alcohol****
>
> ** **
>
> Dear listserv,****
>
> I would like to know whether anyone has experienced or knows someone who
> has developed a sensitivity to ethanol/ denatured ethanol/ methylated
> spirits? About 3 years ago we started to source Anhydrous Methylated
> Spirits of >98% ethanol and 0-2% of Methanol (we used to use HGAA ethanol).
> ****
>
> For a year now I have increasingly struggled with an allergic response and
> I have the feeling it is work-related. We use personal protective gear and
> extraction around our collection but there are always residual fumes and
> contact. I thought this forum may provide a good source of experience.****
>
> Thanks for your help,
> Kareen****
>
>  ****
>
>  ****
>
>  ****
>
> Kareen Schnabel, Ph.D.****
>
> Collection Manager ****
>
> Marine Biodiversity and Biosecurity
> National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd.
> Taihoro Nukurangi
> Mail address: NIWA, Private Bag 14 901 Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand
> Street address: 301 Evans Bay Parade, Greta Point, Wellington
> Tel: +64 4 386 0862 (direct)****
>
> Fax: +64 4 386 2153
> Email: Kareen.Schnabel at niwa.co.nz
> Web: http://www.niwa.co.nz/nic  ****
>
> Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/NIWAInvertebrateCollection ****
>
>  ****
>
> --
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