UK and Irish locations from which geological or palaeontologcal specimens are known to be prone to pyrite oxidation

Abstract

Pyrite oxidation (or pyrite decay) has been a problem in museum collections for many years. The damage to specimens can include total loss of the object and its label. There is no cure: the changes cannot be reversed but the process can be halted. Preventing pyrite oxidation in the first place is obviously preferable but maintaining the appropriate environmental conditions in a large storage area can be very difficult to achieve and monitoring the whole collection regularly for signs of pyrite decay may not be practicable. Therefore it would be useful for curators to know which specimens in their collection are most likely to suffer from pyrite decay. Whilst there is a great deal of literature published on the mechanisms of pyrite oxidation and its treatment, there has been very little describing which sorts of specimens are prone to the process. Alist of sites in the UK and Ireland from which problematic material is known is presented, with indications of what specimens from these sites are likely to suffer the most. This data has been crowd-sourced from curators, conservators, collectors and enthusiasts from around the UK and further afield. It is not definitive but is a starting point and can be added to over time. The most important specimens from sites identified on this list can be stored in appropriate environmental conditions and/or regularly monitored. They can also be digitally imaged or physically replicated through casting or 3D printing to preserve a record in case the worst should happen in the future.