Evaluating Exposure Hazards in Historical Collections

Details

• Personal Author:
  Burnell, Kenneth ; Cusack-McVeigh, H. ; Daugherty, E. ; Griem, M. ; Klicker-Wiechmann, J. ; Park, J. ; Wilson, M.
• Description:
  Museum collections and exhibit spaces often contain health hazards as a result of historic preservation treatments and environmental conditions within the buildings. These hazards present dangers to the health and safety of those charged with their care and display. For example, individuals who encounter treated artifacts are at risk of exposure to heavy metals such as arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg). These heavy metals can develop skin lesions, cancer, or destructive complications to the cardiovascular, muscular, digestive, and nervous systems. Moreover, particulate matter (PM) could be another hazard in the museum. Due to the limited ventilation conditions to protect collections, people can be more easily exposed to PM which can increase the risk of respiratory diseases. To protect people in the museum, we should better understand these risks in the collections and the environment. In this study, the team analyzed the diverse artifacts at three sites to help identify hidden hazards in their collections. Specifically, the concentrations of metals including Pb and As in the artifacts were measured using a field portable X-ray fluorescence (FP-XRF) and mass concentrations of PM smaller than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) in the buildings were also measured using an aerosol direct reading instrument for 25 minutes during the cleaning of two exhibits. In the results measured using the FP-XRF, Pb and Hg were found in organic and inorganic pieces of artifacts. The highest concentration of As was found among organic artifacts. Older artifacts or those believed to have been traded illegally also had a higher concentration of As. The concentration varied across the artifacts and As concentration on some artifacts (e.g., ancient tools, weapons, etc.) was above 28,400 ppm. Similarly, the concentration of Pb across organic and inorganic artifacts varied greatly. Variation and presence of Pb in both classes of artifacts are likely due to lead's history of being used in paint, structural components of old equipment, and its presence in heavy metal pesticides. The highest Pb concentration measured across these collections was approximately 2,500,000 ppm. In the results of PM2.5 measurements, an average mass concentration across the museum was 0.12 mg/m3 and maximum and minimum concentrations were 0.01 and 0.52 mg/ m3, respectively. Although these results cannot be compared to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Permissible Exposure Limits (PEL) for dust, the average PM2.5 concentration was ten times higher than United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s annual standard of PM2.5 (0.015 mg/m3). These findings shed light on the exposures and health outcomes of museum staff and will help shape the future of health and safety in this field. The team will investigate other hazards such as mold and bioaerosols in future research. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Arsenic Inorganic Chemicals Lead Occupational Health Particulate Matter Safety Ventilation
• Keywords:
  Indoor Environments Particulates
• ISSN:
  1096-6080
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• Place as Subject:
  Indiana ; OSHA Region 5
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  3 pdf pages
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20067231
• Citation:
  Toxicologist 2023 Mar; 192(S1):487-488
• CAS Registry Number:
  Arsenic (CAS RN 7440-38-2) ; Lead (CAS RN 7439-92-1)
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2023
• Performing Organization:
  Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20010701
• Source Full Name:
  The Toxicologist. Society of Toxicology 62nd Annual Meeting & ToxExpo, March 19-23, 2023, Nashville, Tennessee
• End Date:
  20270630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:4507db9ce0fb5361459a2fbb2ed948c5759eac283de8e2f2c85accc973efa81cb89346d6a2cdba9f5a239a9bd535a5e301ce401f4205c7c08fb125f13b21c914
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/230650/cdc_230650_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.13 MB ]