Hazardous Heritage

Hazardous heritage

How to handle potentially dangerous heritage

A guide

 

Researchers today have a far greater understanding of materials than they did a century ago. As a result, contemporary museums realize that some items in their collections could very well contain toxic substances ; the War Heritage Institute is also faced with this reality. Some collection items can pose health risks to both staff and visitors.

Not all objects are easily identified as potentially dangerous and not everyone is aware of what could be potentially dangerous. Below, we have listed an overview of potential hazards, we have indicated how to identify them and how to protect oneself from possible health risks.

Currently, mainly the objects in the textile and small equipment collections have been examined.

Table of contents

Heavy metals Old pesticides  Medical equipment  Chemical warfare equipment  Asbestos

Please note: our staff members featured in the photos sometimes wear more equipment than necessary because of allergies. Always take your own health into consideration. Be sure to read our recommendations and adapt them whenever necessary!

Heavy metals are a group of minerals that can be classified as metals or metalloids. These minerals differ from regular metals in that they have a higher density and have the ability to easily (bio)accumulate inside tissue. Build-up of these heavy metals can cause a wide range of effects from decreased mental function, to kidney, liver, and lung damage.

Heavy metals appear in or on objects in different ways. Lead and cadmium were often used to colour the enamel of medals and badges. A similar process used heavy metals to colour textiles. A well-known example is the use of arsenic or chromium to give textiles a green colour. Moreover, heavy metals can also be present as such within a collection, more specifically in the form of plates, bowls, metallic constructions, etc.

  1. Arsenic | Arsenic (As) is a metalloid found in the Earth’s crust. It can be found in combination with other minerals.
  2. Lead | Lead (Pb) is a metal that occurs naturally combined with sulfur and rarely in its pure metallic form. Lead has a blue-gray colour and is soft and malleable.
  3. Antimony | Antimony (Sb) is a metalloid that occurs naturally combined with sulfur (Sb2S3 – stibnite). Antimony has a silvery-white colour.
Read more about it here!

The heritage sector is continuously confronted with insects. The War Heritage Institute currently applies Integrated Pest Management to monitor and control the insects that might damage our collection.

However, mothballs containing naphthalene (C10H8) were used in some of our display cases in the past. The smell of naphthalene is still present in some of our display cases and on some of the objects.

  1. Naphtalene | Naphthalene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and occurs naturally in coal tar.
Read more about it here

The War Heritage Institute’s collection also contains some medical equipment, including surgical instruments. One of the dangers associated with these collection items is accidental stabbing or cutting. Such accidents can be avoided by wearing cut-resistant gloves and by storing and labelling the pieces correctly.

Another risk with this collection is the exposure to chemicals used in the medical profession. The risk is especially high in collections dating back to the 19th century, when medication was kept in glass bottles. These medicines, such as morphine and cocaine, are considered addictive today, and some chemicals are carcinogenic.

  1. Chromic acid | Chromic acid (H2CrO4) is an inorganic acid used today in chromium plating, coloured glass, and ceramic glazes.
  2. Sulphanilamide | Sulphanilamide (C6H8N2O2S), is part of the sulphonamide group and has a white to yellowish-white colour.
  3. Mercury chloride | Mercury chloride (HgCl2) is an inorganic colorless to white salt.
Read more about it here

Chemical warfare equipment includes protective items such as gasmasks and suits, as well as detection kits for gases, medication and auto-injectors in case of exposure to chemicals, etc. The main risk with these collection items: the exact chemical reagents involved are not established.

  1. Unknown chemicals | Whenever chemicals are not exactly identified, the risks involved remain unclear. This is e.g. the case with chemical detection kits.
  2. Unknown substances | Medical equipment used when exposed to chemicals, such as an auto-injector.
  3. Asbestos | Equipment used for protection against chemicals containing asbestos, e.g. gasmasks.
Read more about it here

In the past, asbestos was not only used in buildings, but also in a wide variety of objects. Objects containing asbestos have in that way found their way into museum collections.

  1. Asbestos | Asbestos is a natural mineral that can appear as chrysotile (Mg3Si2O5(OH)4), crocidolite (Na2(Fe2Mg)3Fe2Si8O22), amosite ((Fe2+,Mg)7Si8O22(OH)2), tremolite (Ca2(Mg,Fe2+)5[OH|Si4O11]2), actinolite (Ca2(Fe2+,Mg)5[OH|Si4O11]2), and anthophyllite ((Mg,Fe2+)7Si8O22(OH)2.).
Read more about it here

Key info in a nutshell

Interested in having a handy document with all the info on how to deal with hazardous heritage? Dowload our overview leaflet below!

Leaflet - Hazardous heritage