Not a Known Carcinogen: Health and Safety Considerations of New and Innovative Treatments

Abstract

When considering the use of new and innovative materials in the treatment and handling of museum objects, there are many issues concerning health and safety, particularly when the toxicity of these new materials is unknown. However, issues related to exposure of toxic materials are not just related to new innovations; health and safety information is incomplete for most of the materials already used in collection care. Many topics covered in this article apply to any chemical/material to which museum personnel may be exposed. The discussion is divided into three parts: (1) an explanation of why museum workers, particularly conservators, are a unique exposure population when it comes to health and safety concerns; (2) a specific chemical case study (cyclododecane) describing how to approach materials with limited safety information; and (3) practical protocols to protect workers and the public. To gain a better understanding of how to approach these challenges, a summary of related literature, interviews, and survey responses on this topic are provided.

A Collaborative Approach to Hazardous & Contaminated Collections Conundrums

“…This includes but is not limited to items decorated with lead paint, objects containing dyes and pigments, archaeological and geological collections containing silica dust, poisonous herbarium specimens, geological collections that naturally contain heavy metals or are radioactive, objects created from uranium glass and even historic medicinal collections containing old medications and other dangerous substances (Boyer et al 2005; Hawks and Makos 2000; Hawks et al 2010). Such inherent “hazards are often not apparent and may require specific knowledge about the collection” (Koss Schrager et al 2024).…”