Wow, I'm sure glad I asked.  Thank you Charlie for that detailed resopnse.
I was considering building a nice wood storage cabinet for my specimens, but
now I think I'm going metal.


----- Original Message -----
From: <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 12:53 AM
Subject: Re: [CONCH-L] Metal vs. wood cabinets


>> Could someone elaborate on Byne's disease?  I've never haerd of this.
>
> From: Sturm. 2006. Chapter 5. ARCHIVAL AND CURATORIAL METHODS. In: The
> Mollusks: A Guide to Their Study, Collection, and Preservation. Sturm,
> Pearce, and Valdes eds. Universal Publishers.
>
> 5.2.1 Acid, temperature, and humidity.
>
> The first three dangers, acid, temperature, and humidity (often measured
> as relative humidity, RH) all contribute to a condition called Bynesian
> Decay
> (also called Bynes Disease) (Tennent and Baird 1985, Shelton 1996). The
> calcium carbonate of the shell decomposes in this condition. Bynesian
> Decay was thought to be due, in part, to a process initiated by bacteria,
> but is now known to be a chemical process. Bynes originally investigated
> this process and published papers on it between the years 1899 to 1907.
> Since it is a chemical process and not a bacterial one, I advocate the
> term decay as opposed to the older designation as a disease. This
> condition can affect collections large and small. Sometimes a few shells
> are affected, occasionally whole collections. Once the decay has started,
> the part of a specimen that has been affected cannot be restored. However,
> further deterioration can be halted.
>
> For Bynesian Decay to occur, acid must be present in the microenvironment
> of the shell. The acids most commonly involved are formic and acetic
> acids. These acids are produced by the wood used in cabinets, cardboard
> trays and boxes, and labels, as well as from the adhesives used in the
> construction
> of cabinets and in the repair of specimens. Along with the acidic fumes,
> temperature is also a concern.
>
> The higher the temperature the faster acids can react with the calcium
> carbonate of the specimens and change it into calcium acetate-formate
> salts.
> Thus, at lower temperatures, Bynesian Decay will progress more slowly.
> Lastly, the humidity must be high enough to provide moisture for the acids
> to dissolve and precipitate out onto the specimens to cause the decay.
>
>
> This and a lot of other good info can be found in the book. How to make a
> glass-bottomed bucket is in there, however, someone already answered that
> question.
>
> 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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