[Nhcoll-l] Glycerol as a safer alternative to ethanol for display specimens - Feedback from your practice?

[Marion BILLOT]

Dear colleagues,

I am currently working on an exhibition project involving fluid-preserved specimens, and I am exploring the possibility of replacing ethanol with glycerol for long-term display purposes. The main objective is to reduce fire hazards and mitigate health risks in display environments (cases that are not airtight).

I am preparing to present this proposal internally. As this practice is not yet established in my institution and tends to raise concerns, I would be very grateful for any feedback from professionals who have experience using glycerol in this context.

To clarify:

  *   The specimens are of strictly pedagogical value, they are not scientifically rare or culturally significant.
  *   We aim for long-term display in semi-sealed cases with limited air exchange.
  *   I understand that transferring specimens from ethanol to glycerol requires several days of transitional baths in demineralized water to avoid osmotic shock and tissue damage. I am considering a gradual transition: ethanol 70 % → 50 % → 30 % → 10 %, followed by glycerol in increasing quart-step dilutions. I will let it in a minimum of 4 hours for small specimen (5 cm).


Have you used glycerol for display purposes in your institution? If so, under what conditions, and with what types of specimens? Any technical advice, protocol suggestions, or reference materials would be most appreciated.

Thank you very much in advance for your insights. They will be very helpful in supporting a safer and more sustainable exhibition strategy.
Best regards,

Marion

Marion BILLOT
Collaboratrice support scientifique

Invertébrés

T. +41 22 418 6459
marion.billot at geneve.ch

Muséum d'histoire naturelle (MHN)
Département de la culture et de la transition numérique
Route de Malagnou 1
1208 Genève
www.museum-geneve.ch





Notre environnement est fragile, merci de n'imprimer ce message qu'en cas de nécessité.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20250624/6750f176/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 248 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20250624/6750f176/attachment.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 3723 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20250624/6750f176/attachment-0001.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 1481 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20250624/6750f176/attachment-0002.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/gif
Size: 248 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20250624/6750f176/attachment-0003.gif>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 86313 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://mailman.yale.edu/pipermail/nhcoll-l/attachments/20250624/6750f176/attachment.jpe>