1 / 11

7/30/2013

7/30/2013. EHS Issues with Taxidermy Specimens: Birds, Skeletons and Alligators Oh My. Prepared By: Dana Moracco MoraccoD@ripon.edu Jeffrey R. Sotek, PE, CSP, CIH Jeff.sotek@hrpassociates.com. Why do Colleges / Universities have Taxidermy Specimens?  Valuable educational tools?

parson
Download Presentation

7/30/2013

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. 7/30/2013 EHSIssueswithTaxidermySpecimens: Birds,SkeletonsandAlligatorsOhMy PreparedBy: DanaMoracco MoraccoD@ripon.edu JeffreyR.Sotek,PE,CSP,CIH Jeff.sotek@hrpassociates.com WhydoColleges/Universitieshave TaxidermySpecimens? Valuable educationaltools? Rareglimpsesinto past? Curiosities? College/ Universityinherited themfrom Alumni? 1

  2. 7/30/2013 Taxidermy–ABriefHistory Greekorigin“taxi”and “derma”,whichmeans arrangementofskin Firstattemptsofstuffing andmounting–16th Century –Arhinocerosis reportedlyoldest museumspecimen 20thcenturybrought aboutthemodernerain taxidermy    –Posinganimalsandbirds 3 WhyShouldYouCare? Preservationmethodsused toxicchemicalstoprotect againstinsectinfestationand rodents…. –Arsenicalsoapsandpastes –Mercuricchloride –Organicpesticides(DDT, Dieldrin,,Alcohols,,manyy more) Mounts –Asbestoscontaining? 2

  3. 7/30/2013 HowManyofYouHaveSkeletonsin YourCloset? SampleID Alligator RedTailHawk Case(CanadianGeese) Case(InteriorWipe–Canadian Geese) Case(Mergansers) Case(InteriorWipe–Mergansers) SongBirds(StorageCase) Butterfly(storagecase) HorseSkulls Orangutan Arsenic 2,800ug/wipe 6,800mg/kg(dust) 970mg/kg(dust) 24,000mg/kg 860ug/wipe 19,000mg/kg 210ug/wipe 240,000mg/kg NonDetect NonDetect NonDetect Mercury 6.8ug/wipe 14mg/kg(dust) 2.7mg/kg(dust) 29mg/kg(dust) 1ug/wipe 80mg/kg 3ug/wipe 56mg/kg 0.42ug/wipe 0.49ug/wipe 0.39ug/wipe ObligationsandLiability….  OSHA –Obligationtoprovide safeworkplace –CompliancewithSafety Standards • • • HazardCommunication PersonalProtective Equipment AirborneContaminants Students  –Exposurerisk 6 3

  4. 7/30/2013 WhereDoWeStart? EvaluateRisk/Exposure InspecttheCollection –Lookforpowderyor crystallinedepositson: •Baseoffeathersandhair •Aroundeyes •Aroundmouthorbill •Atbaseoftail •Onfootpads •Alongventralincision Testing –WipeSamples –VacuumTrapCollection –X-rayfluorescence –TestStrips Testingonthecheap Riponfocusedonarsenic. –XRFconfirmednoother poisonsusedinour collection. Webertestvs.arsenictest strips*      GeneralRuleof Thumb: Allnaturalhistory specimensbeforethe 1980sshouldbetested 7 –UsedMacherey-Nagel arsenicteststrips.$0.75 perspecimen •$32for200strips.Cutin half.1200samplesX3 tests/sample=3600tests *“ArsenicinTaxidermy Collections:History,Detection, andManagement.”Marte,et al.,Collection Forum.2006 • 80studenthours@ $7.25/hr=$580 8 4

  5. 7/30/2013 Materials •25mLErlenmeyerflasks •Rubberstoppers •Zinc •ROwater •1MHCl •RubbingAlcohol •Wipes •Cottonswabs •10mLgraduatedcylinder •String&IDtags •Arsenicteststrips •Bagsforpositivespecimens •HazWastecontainers •PPE 9 Methods Swab3spotsonspecimen.Eyes, underlimb,body. Swabgoesin5mLH2O Addzinc,HClandstopperwith Hg(II)BrtestpaperAsH3 Workinfumehood.WearPPE.Disposeof liquidandsolidwasteasHW. 10 5

  6. 7/30/2013 ResultsandOtherStuff Ofknowndatesof+’smany≤1900’s Mostareunknownage Latest+preparedin1994 Noclearpatternof+’sor–’s Wilson’sPhalarope got3+’s Sensitivity wasn’tas + 1ppm greatasM-N testclaim (0.1ppm) +++++ ++ ++++10-3 +++ 11 FurtherConsiderations   Decontaminatesamplesandtrays withrubbingalcohol.Tag Containerize+samples     Bags VisipakorClearTec Taxidermydisplaycases www.birdtaxidermist.com.Buy baseanduprightsupportsper meterandgetglasscutlocally Postwarnings Warning! TaxidermySpecimens MayybeContaminated withArsenic Use4letterbirdabbreviations http://www.birdpop.org/alphacodes.htm •Weargloveswhenhandlingany specimen •Noeatingordrinking •Washhands,utensils,andworking surfaceafterhandlingspecimens  Migratorybirdact 12 6

  7. 7/30/2013 MoreConsiderations Storage – – – Museumcases Individualcases Drawers –Other Consider: – – – – Accessibility Security Training Communication •Labeling 13 MoreConsiderations GoodHousekeeping  – – – Keepstorageareasand workareascleanandfree fromdustanddebris Usewetmethodsto minimizedustgeneration andairborneexposure wheneverpossible Whenvacuumingis necessary,useaHEPA vacuum • Note:airpurifying respiratorrecommendedas vacuumexhaustcan circulatehazardous particulates 14 7

  8. 7/30/2013 MoreConsiderations AdditionalExposureRisks  – – – – CustodialStaff Facilities Faculty Thepossibilityofarsenic-contaminateddust beingtransferredtootherareasofthe building,eitherbyfoottrafficorother means,isofhighconcern 15 MoreConsiderations PersonalProtectionEquipment  – – Nevertouchwithbareskin Lessevasivetasks(e.g.,testing) • • Nitrileglovesandprotectivesmockorapron ConsiderationforairpurifyingrespiratorwithHEPAfilter – Moreevasivetasks(e.g.,deconning,remounting) • • • Performincontainmentorlabhood Nitrilegloves Tyvekandprotectivesmockorapron,dependingonlocation •AirpurifyingrespiratorwithHEPAfilter Monitoring  – Needtodocumentemployeeexposure(i.e.,personalair monitoring 16 8

  9. 7/30/2013 MoreConsiderations PersonalHygiene  – – – – – Arseniccontainingspecimensshouldnotused inhand-onpresentations Washlabcoatsandotherprotectiveclothing frequentlyandseparatefrompersonalaffects Ifhomeclothesmaybecontaminateddonot bringthemhometopassalongtofamily members. Washhandsoften Nosmoking,eating,applyinglipbalm,etc. 17 MoreConsiderations PostDecontaminationSampling –Wipesamples •Noregulatorylimitforarsenic,mercury •Residentialwipescreeninglevels* –Arsenic:36ug/ft2or387ug/m2 –Mercury:15ug/ft2or157ug/m2 •Industrialwipescreeninglevels** –Arsenic:100ug/100cm2or929ug/ft •WorldTradeCenterIndoorAirTaskForceWorkingGroupContaminatesofPotential ConcernCommittee.May2003.“WorldTradeCenterindoorenvironmental assessment:Selectingcontaminatesofpotentialconcernandsettinghealthbased benchmarks.” **MethodologyusingSemiconductorsHandbookbyWilliamsandBaldwin 9

  10. 7/30/2013 MoreConsiderations Waste –Specimens –Dust/filters –Washwaters Options –Presumedhazardouswaste –Usegeneratorknowledge –AnalyzeviaToxicLeachingCharacteristicProcedure 19 FinalConsiderations MigratoryBirdTreatyof1918 –1,007birdslistedandgeneraldividedbetweenGameandNon-Game –Permitsarerequiredtotake,possess,transport,sell,purchase,barter, import,orexportallspeciesofbirdsprotectedbytheMBTA,aswellas theirfeathers,parts,nests,oreggs.Takemeanstopursue,hunt,shoot, wound,kill,tap,capture,orcollect,orattempttopursue,hunt,shoot, wound,kill,trap,capture,orcollect(50CFR10.12) –Certainpermitexceptionsapplyto...publicscientificoreducational institutions –FWSrecommendslettertoRegionalMigratoryBirdOfficer EndangeredSpeciesAct 20   10

  11. 7/30/2013 QUESTIONS? ThankYou DanaMoracco BiologyLaboratoryCoordinator,RiponCollege Tel:920-748-8398 E:MoraccoD@ripon.edu JeffreySotek RegionalManager,HRPAssociates,Inc. Tel:855-866-3934 E:jeff.sotek@hrpassociates.com 11

More Related