[Nhcoll-l] Bouin's formula

[Simon Moore]

Hi Tonya,

I used to deal with Bouin’s fluid back in my histology days.  The only slight risk is if the picric acid content has dried to yellow crystals and you have screw top jars.  The picric acid is a tri-nitrate so yes, it’s unstable and might spark a bit in this situation.  If this is so, then immerse the jars in cold water so that the picric acid goes back into solution and is then quite safe.  I have had dry picric acid situations like this before and this method has always worked well and no fireworks!

With all good wishes, Simon

Simon Moore MIScT, RSci, FLS, ACR
Conservator of Natural Sciences and Cutlery Historian,

www.natural-history-conservation.com




> On 16 Nov 2022, at 23:31, Haff, Tonya (NCMI, Crace) <Tonya.Haff at csiro.au> wrote:
> 
> Hello all,
>  
> We have quite a few specimens (mostly macropod pouch young, turtle embryos and turtle organs) that have been preserved in Bouin’s formula, which contains picric acid. I know that picric acid is explosive on impact, and so we are wary of the potential risk that the jars of those specimens may pose. However, I don’t have any real understanding of what the actual risk of explosion might be… should these specimens and their jars be disposed of because opening them poses too much of a risk, or are the levels of picric acid so insignificant as to not pose a risk? Or is there some halfway point, but a way of safely opening the jars without calling the bomb squad? If any of you have thoughts or experience with this I would really appreciate it!
>  
> Cheers,
>  
> Tonya
>  
> -------------------------------------------------
> Dr. Tonya M. Haff
> Collection Manager
> Australian National Wildlife Collection
> CSIRO
> +61(0)419569109
> https://www.csiro.au/en/about/facilities-collections/collections/anwc
>  
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