I was interested in Bobbi Cordy's statement about cotton releasing acid,
and this brought to mind other problems. Another source of acid are
plastics, especially the chemicals used to soften them. Hard plastics seem
less of a problem, but I'm not sure whether we can divide them so exactly.
 
Are wood cabinets a problem, and is there  a difference in what sort of
wood is used -- e.g. Highly resinous woods such as oak compared with
"drier" woods such as mahogany.
 
What about paper -- should all paper be acid - free?
 
Does humidity play an important role?  I live in an extremely dry climate.
 
I am also interested in what causes fading in shells, indeed, what is the
source of color in shells anyway? Is it pigment or structural? Do shells
fade only because of light, or is it connected with them drying out over
time? What can be done to help prevent fading?
 
Any help will be most appreciated.
 
Cheers,
 
John Hooker
--
 
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