Cleaning of metals contaminated with historic pesticide residues that are hazardous to health

Abstract

AbstractThere is an increasing awareness of the risks that some collections can present, including the dangers posed by some historic household pesticides. Mr Straw's House in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, is an Edwardian semi-detached home owned by the National Trust and contains everyday items from the 1900s to 1980s. Amongst the collections in the property were a number of gardening chemicals and containers with unidentified contents. It was recognised that some of these chemicals may pose a health risk to staff and visitors if unidentified and mishandled. In collaboration with the University of Lincoln's Conservation Department, the contents of containers were identified where possible using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), fast gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GCMS) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and the containers conserved following an agreed treatment protocol. This article discusses the hazards of removing pesticide materials and residues from containers (mainly metal), and the ext...