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Science, Louisiana State University
Arsenic
on old bird skins
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002
11:54:32 -0600
From: Angelo Capparella <apcappar ILSTU.EDU>
Reply-To: Bulletin Board for Bird Collections and Curators
<AVECOL-L listserv.lsu.edu>
To: AVECOL-L listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: Re: [AVECOL-L] arsenic and old birds (fwd)
I found the following in
my file on arsenic in collections.
Hawks, C.A. and S.L.
Williams. 1986. Arsenic in natural history collections.
Leather Conservation News. 2(2):1-4.
At that time, Hawks and
Williams were in the Section of Mammals at the Carnegie Museum of Natural
History. They provide an interesting history regarding the kinds of
preservatives used over time. Apparently, arsenic in different forms (important
in terms of measuring toxicity and pathways of entry into humans) was used as
late as the second half of the 20th century ("was used on birds at the
Smithsonian until the early 1970s"), although the impression is that 19th
and early 20th century is the more likely time frame. They say inorganic
arsenicals can be absorbed through lungs and skin.
Their recommendations for
specimens thought to have been prepared with arsenic: Use gloves, dust mask,
and protective clothing when moving/handling. Any specimen exhibiting powdery
or crystalline deposits should be tested for arsenic contamination. They give
detailed instructions on doing a simple wet-chemical test to quickly screen
specimens for the presence of arsenic.
In a posting on the
Museum-L listserv in 1995, Sally Shelton (Director, Collections Care and
Conservation, San Diego Natural History Museum) stated that many
preparators/taxidermists used arsenic well into the 1950s and 1960s. She
suggests wearing gloves and a respirator if working with known problem
specimens, and testing those that are suspicious. She suggests examining bare
skin areas and surfaces of glass eyes for powdery or crystalline deposits.
So it sounds like
something to take precautions with, and maybe even testing for.
Angelo Capparella
Curator of Birds and Mammals
Illinois State University
===========================================
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2002
13:40:10 -0500
From: James Dean <Dean.James NMNH.SI.EDU>
Reply-To: Bulletin Board for Bird Collections and Curators
<AVECOL-L listserv.lsu.edu>
To: AVECOL-L listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: Re: [AVECOL-L] arsenic and old birds (fwd)
Up through the 1960's or
1970's it was common during the preparation of bird and mammal specimens, both
taxidermy mounts and study skins, to be treated with  arsenic as a preservative against insect
pests. Not all specimens were treated  but
a large percentage of specimens prepared before the 1920's were likely  treated.
There were three main
methods that the arsenic was applied. The first was the  dusting or "painting" of the inside
skin of the specimen with arsenic powder. A  second method mixed the arsenic powder with
borax or aluminum sulphate. Many  old
ornithologists and mammalogists would have a container of powder and use a  paint brush or a rabbit's foot to brush the
arsenic into the inside of the  specimen's
skin.
The third method was to
use arsenical soap. This was made by combining soap  flakes, potash, arsenic camphor, alcohol and
water to make a slurry. This was  painted
or brushed onto the inside of the skin during the preparation process. I
believe that the arsenical soap was used more commonly on mounted specimens.
I have heard some people
comment that arsenic powder was sometimes sprinkled  onto the feathers or fur and worked down to
the skin on mounted birds and  mammals as
an additional guard against pests. I have never seen any  documentation that this practice was wide
spread, if used at all.
Opinions vary widely about
the dangers of the arsenic in these older specimens.  Arsenic has been shown to be carcinogenic, but
that is generally for long-term  exposure
with ingestion of fairly large amounts of arsenic. I am of the opinion  that as long as the specimens are cleaned and
do not have tears in them where  arsenic
is falling out of the specimen, then the specimens should be safe to  use if a few precautions are followed.
My recommendations would
be as follows. 1. Examine the specimens to see if they have tears in the skin
or places where  a white powder is
spilling out. Bear in mind that if you do see white powder it  could be plaster of Paris if the skin was
stretched over a plaster mannequin.
2. If the specimens are in
good shape then I would recommend a cleaning. This  will remove any dust or other compounds
lightly attached to the feather, fur or  the
outer skin layer. Cleaning can be accomplished in several manners.
The best would be to vacuum
the specimen with a HEPA filtered vacuum cleaner  using small nozzle attachments. I would also
suggest picking up a roll of  fiberglass
replacement window screening which can be cut up into squares and  used to hold the feathers or fur in place
while vacuuming the specimens. Vacuum  in
the direction the fur or feathers lay.
If you do not have a HEPA
vacuum, but do have access to compressed air, then  the specimens can be blown with air to clean
them. Again blow the air over them  in
the direction the feathers or fur lays to prevent ruffling. Do not use the  full strength of the air compressor. The
window screening can be used here as  well
to help hold the feathers or fur in place.
An alternative would be to
use a hair dryer as your source of forced air. Use it on a cold setting and
again blow the air over the specimens in the direction  the feathers or fur lays.
3. After cleaning the
specimens should be fairly safe to use for teaching  purposes. If the students or staff are to
handle the specimens keep in mind  that
their contact with the specimens is generally going to be short term. As  long as the specimen have been cleaned and
there are no openings in the  specimen
where a white powder is falling out, then in my opinion the specimen  could be used for teaching purposes.
A few precautions. Persons
handling the specimens should wash their hands  before and after contact. This not only will
remove any arsenic or other dust  that
might have been picked up from the specimen, but the before washing cleans  the hands of oils, dirt, etc. that might get
deposited on the specimen.
It would be a good idea to
have a supply of disposable gloves on hand -  surgical gloves made of latex or vinyl, or cotton
gloves. These could be made available to students and staff that have concerns
about the potential of  arsenic. We are
required to maintain a supply of gloves for just that purpose.
Specimens that do have
tears in them can still be useful in teaching. The safe  bet would be to use them in an environment
where the students do not handle them. They could be placed in a glass or
plastic display case, or even set  out in
the open up on a high shelf or cabinet.
James Dean
Collections Manager
Department of Systematic Biology
Division of Birds, MRC-116
National Museum of Natural History
==============================
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2002
09:26:37 +1300
From: Brian Gill <bgill AKMUSEUM.ORG.NZ>
Reply-To: Bulletin Board for Bird Collections and Curators
<AVECOL-L listserv.lsu.edu>
To: AVECOL-L listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: [AVECOL-L] Arsenic and old birds
At Auckland Museum our
birds go back to 1856, and all the older ones that have been tested are
positive for arsenic. A couple of years ago we opened four new natural history
galleries, for which around 200 older bird mounts had to be cleaned. This was
done by a team of conservation interns. They used masks, gloves and fume
cupboards where possible, but larger birds (e.g. ratites) had to be cleaned in
gallery spaces. Towards the end of the process the whole team was tested for
arsenic from 24-hour urine samples. I was tested too, having handled old
specimens for 18 years. I hadn't used gloves routinely, but had always avoided
inhaling dust, and washed my hands after touching any skins or mounts. We all
had arsenic levels within the normal range, showing that simple precautions
work. The medical specialist told the young woman with the highest levels (high
end of normal) that her fondness for sushi may have contributed. Apparently
seaweed can be a source of dietary arsenic.
BRIAN
GILL
--------------------------------
B.J. Gill, Curator of Land Vertebrates, Auckland Museum, Private Bag 92018, Auckland,
New Zealand.