Mercuric chloride has been used for control of insect and fungal infestations in herbarium collections for over two centuries. One of the lasting effects of this use is the long­term evolution of elemental mercury vapor from treated specimens. The vapor can contaminate untreated specimens sharing the same closed environment and can pose a human health hazard. By modifying the technique for use of a commercially available mercury indicating powder (Mallinckrodt Baker, Inc., J. T. Baker Mercury Indicator) it is possible to create an inexpensive and fairly rapid test for mercury vapor in herbarium cabinets. The indicator is mixed with deionized water and applied to glass microscope slides. One or more slides are placed inside a cabinet and any color change in the indicator is compared to unexposed controls. In the authors’ experiments, the indicator results were compared against readings taken using a Jerome 431­X Mercury Vapor Analyzer and a Lumex RA­915+ Multifunctional Mercury Analyzer and were found to be broadly related to the concentration of mercury vapor present in each cabinet. The method can be used to check for mercury contamination in incoming shipments of specimens and to identify cabinets that currently contain or formerly contained contaminated specimens. Practical safety guidelines have been developed for accessing cabinets that give a positive test for the vapor and for handling contaminated specimens.

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1 An incident is described in which excessive mortality amongst a poultry flock alerted veterinarians. Investigation revealed dieldrin in the carcasses and in the wood litter used in the nesting boxes. 2 Because high levels of dieldrin were found also in eggs the Department of Community Medicine was alerted. 3 Those most at risk were the workers who could have absorbed dieldrin by inhalation and percutaneously, and by eating contaminated eggs. A number of other people were at risk having eaten contaminated eggs. 4 Twenty-one workers or members of their families were investigated by case histories and blood levels. They were all clinically well. The highest estimated daily intake of dieldrin in the diet was 3.8 mgm. The highest blood dieldrin level found was 0.016μg/ml. This intake was of the same order as the upper limit of no-toxic-effect of long-term daily dosage, but the blood level is well below the level at which symptoms may be expected. The fall in mean blood level over a year is consistent with a long half-life of dieldrin in the human. 5 The conflict of interest in conducting a comprehensive investigation and preventing undue public alarm is discussed, and how this was resolved in this episode is described.