It never ceases to amaze me what people will put on their shells to glue,
preserve, or add luster to them. But conchologists are in better shape than
curators of vertebrate skins, who are occasionally given material preserved
with arsenic compounds. Now, that's a not only a hazard to one's health,
but a burden to identify, store, or even throw away under current laws.

Think twice about what you put on a shell. If it could harm anyone, now or
later, it's good citizenship to record this on the label. In fact, it's a
good idea in any case, just because you never know where your shells are
going to end up or what purposes they will be put to. Do you plan to live
forever?

Would someone please provide a brief list of the chemicals that belong on
any malaco-curator's shelf, and also some of the commonly used chemicals
that don't belong there? The first list will undoubtedly be very short.

Andrew K. Rindsberg
Geological Survey of Alabama
"One of many fine geological surveys"