Connecting to Collections Care

Hello! We have recently discovered an object in our collection that may be radioactive, and we don't have the means to test it. I'm looking for resources on how to get the object tested, as well as standards of care for hazardous materials. Could anyone share how you handle and detect these kinds of objects in your collection, or if there is a protocol you specifically follow? I appreciate your time and help in advance 😸

Hello Grisel,

Thanks for reaching out to C2C care! This isn't my area of expertise so I've reached out to some of our experts in order to get more information for you. 

In the meantime, I'm attaching the National Parks Service Conserve-O-Gram on hazardous materials in museum collections. It doesn't go into specifics for radioactive materials, but I feel it could be a good starting point! I'll get back to you as soon as possible with information from our experts.

Best,

Nemi

Hello! We have recently discovered an object in our collection that may be radioactive, and we don't have the means to test it. I'm looking for resources on how to get the object tested, as well as standards of care for hazardous materials. Could anyone share how you handle and detect these kinds of objects in your collection, or if there is a protocol you specifically follow? I appreciate your time and help in advance 😸

Hello! We have recently discovered an object in our collection that may be radioactive, and we don't have the means to test it. I'm looking for resources on how to get the object tested, as well as standards of care for hazardous materials. Could anyone share how you handle and detect these kinds of objects in your collection, or if there is a protocol you specifically follow? I appreciate your time and help in advance 😸

Hello Grisel,

Depending on what the object is, the condition, how it's stored, and the amount of radioactive material will dictate what actions you need to take prior to and after a confirmation. Quickly looking at the Mingei International Museum website it seems like the collection primarily focuses on art. Without knowing for sure, I'm assuming the radiation concern is from either glass/ceramics or paint applied to something. If there are concerns of very high radiation levels, leave it where it is, avoid exposure, and call your governing body that deals with radioactive materials.

There are two somewhat easy ways to find out the radiation levels. One, purchase a basic metre to test radiation levels. Often these are digital units and somewhat inexpensive. I wouldn't bet on the accuracy being perfect but you should be able to get a ballpark reading in order to decide your next steps. Both digital and analogue units need to be recalibrated over time as their accuracy goes down, so avoid used or older units. Two, reach out to your local fire department or emergency response body as they often have something to test radiation levels.

I'm sure you're searched online for similar materials or objects that have you raising concerns so that may give you an idea of the potential dangers. However, being a piece of art it may not fit exactly into a specific category if the artist went a little wild with their usage. Without knowing more, my concerns would be exposure from the radiation emitted and from radioactive materials entering the body. How you mitigate those dangers will depend on what the object is, the condition, how it's stored, and the amount of radioactive material. Something like stable uranium glass may emit levels a bit higher than background, but is generally not a major concern and can be mitigated by placing them in a PP or PE container and/or separating items. Items with radium paint may not register above background, but as the paint ages and becomes friable it can be ingested which can lead to various health issues. This can be mitigated through sealing the object to contain the friable paint. For other items it may be a combination of these or other responses to address the concerns.

Hopefully, this general information will help. Good luck!

Hello! We have recently discovered an object in our collection that may be radioactive, and we don't have the means to test it. I'm looking for resources on how to get the object tested, as well as standards of care for hazardous materials. Could anyone share how you handle and detect these kinds of objects in your collection, or if there is a protocol you specifically follow? I appreciate your time and help in advance 😸

Hello! We have recently discovered an object in our collection that may be radioactive, and we don't have the means to test it. I'm looking for resources on how to get the object tested, as well as standards of care for hazardous materials. Could anyone share how you handle and detect these kinds of objects in your collection, or if there is a protocol you specifically follow? I appreciate your time and help in advance 😸

Hello! We have recently discovered an object in our collection that may be radioactive, and we don't have the means to test it. I'm looking for resources on how to get the object tested, as well as standards of care for hazardous materials. Could anyone share how you handle and detect these kinds of objects in your collection, or if there is a protocol you specifically follow? I appreciate your time and help in advance 😸