Connecting to Collections Care

I have a beaded leather pouch that was offered to us as a donation.  We accepted the bag as an incoming loan so we could research whether or not we wanted to acquire the piece.  During this time an XRF test was done using a portable unit, and the bag tested positive for mercury and lead (the presence of arsenic was indeterminate due to limitations of the XRF unit).  Our policy is to err on the side of caution and treat any item with the presence of heavy metals as hazardous; with all that entails, we decided not to accept the piece.

I contacted the donor to let him know we wouldn't be accepting the piece and to inform him of the presence of heavy metals on the bag.  I let him know the test only confirms the presence of these metals and not the quantity, so I couldn't speak to the exact risks they posed.  This information freaked him out a bit.  He doesn't want the pouch around his home given the hazards and doesn't feel he can sell it to a collector or pass it on to another person to make it their hazard; he even suggested I bury the bag if it's the right thing to do (!). 

I would like to point him in the right direction for information so he can make an informed decision.  Any knowledge you have or references I can share with him would be appreciated!

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Rhonda Brewer
Museum Curator
Pecos National Historical Park
Pecos, New Mexico
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Hi Rhonda, this is a timely and excellent question for which there is no clear answer. It's easy to over-react. You might point the owner to this volume which can be downloaded free https://opensi.si.edu/index.php/smithsonian/catalog/book/64 Although this might be too much information - you could look at the references inside the volume to recommend something less daunting. This might be a little easier http://www.spnhc.org/media/assets/cofo_2001_V17N12.pdf , or Nancy Odegaard's book Odegaard, Nancy, et. al. 2005. Old Poisons, New Problems. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press.
other resources:
https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/migrated/museum/upload/Contaminated_Collections_FAQs.pdf 
https://www.amnh.org/research/natural-science-collections-conservation/general-conservation/health-safety/residual-pesticides

I was just speaking with colleagues at Smithsonian Natural History Repatriation about the difficulty of communicating possible hazards to tribal members. I know they were working with the EPA as Smithsonian industrial hygienists. Typically we suggest people use PPE (gloves) when handling "contaminated" items, consult a medical toxicologist,  and colloquially say "don't eat it or lick it". 

Was there there any red pigment (i.e. cinnabar/vermilion HgS) on the bag?

Good luck!
Emily

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Emily Kaplan
Objects Conservator
National Museum of the American Indian
Washington DC
(301) 238-1418
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------Original Message------

Hi Rhonda, this is a timely and excellent question for which there is no clear answer. It's easy to over-react. You might point the owner to this volume which can be downloaded free https://opensi.si.edu/index.php/smithsonian/catalog/book/64 Although this might be too much information - you could look at the references inside the volume to recommend something less daunting. This might be a little easier http://www.spnhc.org/media/assets/cofo_2001_V17N12.pdf , or Nancy Odegaard's book Odegaard, Nancy, et. al. 2005. Old Poisons, New Problems. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press.
other resources:
https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/migrated/museum/upload/Contaminated_Collections_FAQs.pdf 
https://www.amnh.org/research/natural-science-collections-conservation/general-conservation/health-safety/residual-pesticides

I was just speaking with colleagues at Smithsonian Natural History Repatriation about the difficulty of communicating possible hazards to tribal members. I know they were working with the EPA as Smithsonian industrial hygienists. Typically we suggest people use PPE (gloves) when handling "contaminated" items, consult a medical toxicologist,  and colloquially say "don't eat it or lick it". 

Was there there any red pigment (i.e. cinnabar/vermilion HgS) on the bag?

Good luck!
Emily

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Emily Kaplan
Objects Conservator
National Museum of the American Indian
Washington DC
(301) 238-1418
------------------------------

One concern about mercury-containing materials is that all forms of inorganic mercury off-gas mercury vapor, even when bound to an organic substrate. This need not be a problem if the object is handled in a well-ventilated environment (mercury vapor tends to move to the floor and dissipate rapidly). However, it is a concern when objects are kept in closed environment and the vapor can accumulate. Having well designed protocols for opening cabinets or other containers and allowing them to vent, or moving closed packages to a local exhaust ventilation hood to vent them can be simple, but very effective.

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Catharine Hawks
Museum Conservator
National Museum of Natural History
703-200-4370
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-14-2019 11:25
From: Emily Kaplan
Subject: Ethnographic Object Treated with Mercury

Hi Rhonda, this is a timely and excellent question for which there is no clear answer. It's easy to over-react. You might point the owner to this volume which can be downloaded free https://opensi.si.edu/index.php/smithsonian/catalog/book/64 Although this might be too much information - you could look at the references inside the volume to recommend something less daunting. This might be a little easier http://www.spnhc.org/media/assets/cofo_2001_V17N12.pdf , or Nancy Odegaard's book Odegaard, Nancy, et. al. 2005. Old Poisons, New Problems. Walnut Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press.
other resources:
https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/migrated/museum/upload/Contaminated_Collections_FAQs.pdf
https://www.amnh.org/research/natural-science-collections-conservation/general-conservation/health-safety/residual-pesticides

I was just speaking with colleagues at Smithsonian Natural History Repatriation about the difficulty of communicating possible hazards to tribal members. I know they were working with the EPA as Smithsonian industrial hygienists. Typically we suggest people use PPE (gloves) when handling "contaminated" items, consult a medical toxicologist,  and colloquially say "don't eat it or lick it".

Was there there any red pigment (i.e. cinnabar/vermilion HgS) on the bag?

Good luck!
Emily

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Emily Kaplan
Objects Conservator
National Museum of the American Indian
Washington DC
(301) 238-1418
------------------------------

Hi Rhonda, 

I am the C2C Care monitor for this week and am reaching out to others to find an answer for you.

In the mean time, I have attached a resources list from a 2016 C2C webinar entitled Arsenic and Lace: Controlling Hazardous Collection Material
https://www.connectingtocollections.org/arsenic-and-old-lace-controlling-hazardous-collection-materials/

Best, 
Maddie

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Madeline Cooper
Graduate Fellow
Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation
Wilmington, DE

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