Bynes disease is a very serious problem to shell collectors and museums.
The Bishop Museum in Honolulu replaced their wooden cabinets with metal ones
a few years back because of this problem.  They also replaced their old
cardboard boxes with archival quality boxes.  Land shells are particularly
susceptible because of their thin shells.  Wood, acidic paper and cardboard
boxes can eventually cause Bynes disease.

I've seen Bynes disease.  Once a shell has it, it's too late; the shell is
permanently damaged.

John

John & Cheryl Jacobs
Seffner, FL
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----- Original Message -----
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Sent: Thursday, June 17, 1999 5:09 PM
Subject: Bynes disease


At http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/sea-site/1999-03/0031.html, Barry Kaye
wrote,
"Calcium carbonate is susceptible to 'Bynes disease' or 'Efflorescence X' -
basically, if stored in wooden cupboards or on wooden shelves in
unventillated stores, acetic or formic acid from the wood result in the
formation of hydrated calcium formates or acetates (the actual formula is a
bit more complicated). These new minerals appear as a white 'fluff' on the
surface of the ceramic (problem is very common with natural history
collections of shells, and results in white blotches, and damage to the
surface of the shell)."

Interesting. I'd like to hear more. Are bacteria involved? What can be done
about it?

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama