Gary,
I live in Hawaii, which has high humidity, hot days, cool nights, and a
lot of salt in the air almost year round. All of these factors are reported
to contribute to Byne's disease and other maladies resulting in the
dissolution of seashell material, yet I've never had a problem. I may just
be lucky, but I think the real reason is that by keeping my specimens in
metal, glass, and plastic containers and cabinets, I keep them away from the
key factor of acidic fumes coming from wood and wood products like
cardboard.
I have seen a few collections in Hawaii where the collector had kept
his shells in hardwood cabinets, with very bad results. In cases where
ventilation was poor, the entire surface of a shell can be covered with
Byne's crystals. Even in cases where ventilation was available, the parts
of shells in contact with the wood were severely damaged, while all other
parts of the specimens were left in a relatively pristine condition.
Besides wood and cardboard, another thing to look out for to avoid
Byne's is any old and discolored foam inserts you may be using. It seems
like the blue foam sold in recent years do not break down, but any of the
old stuff is quite bad.
I hope this helps.
Aloha,
Dave
-----Original Message-----
From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
[log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 3:34 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [CONCH-L] Humidity and storage of shells
There is also a discussion of this and other archival and curatorial
topics in Chapter 5: Archival and Curatorial Methods,in The Mollusks: A
Guide to Their Study, Collection, and Preservation by edited by Sturm,
Pearce, and Valdes; 2006. pp. 45-57.
> The linked article on Byne's Disease is correct in most points, except for
> cleaning techniques. Bleaches, detergents or solvents are unnecessary (and
> ineffective) for removing Byne's salts from shells. Just soak the shell in
> clean water overnight to break up the crystals, then scrub it lightly with
> a toothbrush under running water and dry it thoroughly.
> Another piece on the same subject is at:
>
> http://www.conchologistsofamerica.org/articles/y2002/0209_callomon.asp
>
> PC.
>
> Paul Callomon
> Collections Manager
> Malacology, Invertebrate Paleontology and General Invertebrates
> Department of Malacology
> Academy of Natural Sciences
> 1900 Parkway, Philadelphia PA 19103-1195, USA
> Tel 215-405-5096
> Fax 215-299-1170
> Secretary, American Malacological Society
> On the web at www.malacological.org
>
>>>> marlo <[log in to unmask]> 3/19/2009 6:12 AM >>>
> Getting disease problems as related to moisture results from other agents
> in
> the moisture or that react with water. Along with humidity control, the
> next line of defense is control of the materials that come into contact
> with
> the shells. Several other Conch-Lers will be responding with details.
> Right now my time is short. So, I'll refer you to an article about Byne's
> Disease.
> http://z14.invisionfree.com/Conchologist_Forum/index.php?showtopic=216
>
> Marlo
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Conchologists List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of
> GARY
> FREDRICKSON
> Hi All,
> Spring is only approaching up here in northern Wisconsin which means
> increases in relative humidity. For space reasons some of the collection
> is
> in the basement. Winter is not a problem because the air is so dry but the
> warmer months require a dehumidifier. Mine can be set to maintain a
> certain
> level. My question is what is a safe humidity level for the shells before
> you start getting disease problems. Clearly the few extra bucks to let it
> run constantly are nothing compared to the cost of the shells but I'm
> still
> curious about what museum collections or even private collections consider
> an optimum humidity level. Thanks.
> Gary
>
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Regards,
Charlie
.................................................
Charlie Sturm
Research Associate - Section of Mollusks
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Assistant Professor - Family Medicine
Fellow-American Academy of Family Practice
Fellow-Academy of Wilderness Medicine
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