[Nhcoll-l] CORRECTION: Dealing with arsenic and formalin in the collections

[Jean-Marc Gagnon]

Oops!

"...while others like copepods and chaetognaths will become opaque, preventing observation of internal structures necessary for species and live stage determination. "

Jean-Marc

From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Jean-Marc Gagnon
Sent: June-28-13 9:34 AM
To: 'Majken Them Tøttrup'; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Dealing with arsenic and formalin in the collections

Majken,

I certainly look forward to visiting your new facility when it is completed. Who knows, may be you'll be hosting a SPNHC Annual Meeting to show it off. Hint! Hint!

As far as dealing with the proper preservation of specimens and the protection of users when handling these specimens, my first approach/response would be procedures.

Certainly, in both situations (contaminated study skins and formaldehyde-preserved samples) appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is a must. Working with this type of material under fume hoods would also be important, especially for the formalin stuff. It is not always convenient but if your facility is designed with these requirements in mind, then you can make it work fairly well.

As far as transferring samples from formaldehyde into ethanol, you will need a lab with lots of air exchange and a good fume hood. Unfortunately, not all material preserved in formaldehyde should be transferred in ethanol. Groups like some planktonic cnidarians may disappear (dissolve) in ethanol while others like copepods and chaetognaths will become opaque, presenting observation of internal structures necessary for species and live stage determination. Therefore, if you decide to keep these in formaldehyde, the only good procedure for users is to work with the whole sample under a fume hood (with appropriate PPE) and with air-extracting trunks for microscope sorting and observations.

I am sure others will have good recommendations to suggest.

Keep us informed and best success in your planning and preparation.

Jean-Marc

Jean-Marc Gagnon, Ph.D.
Past President (2012-2014) of the Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections (www.spnhc.org<http://www.spnhc.org/>)
Chair of the SPNHC Recognition & Grants Committee and SPNHC Bylaws Committee

Curator / Conservateur des collections
Invertebrate Collections / Collections des invertébrés
Canadian Museum of Nature / Musée canadien de la nature
P.O. Box 3443, Stn "D" / C.P. 3443, Succ. D
Ottawa, ON Canada K1P 6P4
T: 613-364-4066 / F: 613-364-4027
E/C: jmgagnon at mus-nature.ca<mailto:jmgagnon at mus-nature.ca>
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From: nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu [mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Majken Them Tøttrup
Sent: June-28-13 6:30 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Dealing with arsenic and formalin in the collections

Dear all
First question :)
The Copenhagen collections are old and therefore a great deal of the bird- and mammal skins is treated with arsenic. Furthermore we still have smaller parts of the wet collections still stored in a formalin solution (the latter is to be transferred to alcohol, when finding the resources).
On one hand, we wish to keep the collections active, e.g. having scientist and students studying the collections, sending out (and receiving) loans etc. - on the other hand we wish to protect the people handling the specimens.
How do you deal with that dilemma in your institution?

Sincerely
Majken

Majken Them Tøttrup
Collections Manager
Natural History Museum of Denmark
University of Denmark
Universitetsparken 15
DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark


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