Potential occupational exposures in the Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen Mannheim/Germany.
The Reiss-Engelhorn-Museen in Mannheim, Germany requested support from a toxicological laboratory in evaluating occupational exposures before a cleanup and renovation period in 2006. Samples of dust and dirt and scrapings of exhibits were collected from several locations. Following toxicologically relevant compounds could be identified by gas chromatography - mass spectrometry (GC/MS) by comparison with a mass spectra library: dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT) and its breakdown product dichlorodiphenyl dichloroethane (DDD) as well as dichlorodiphenyl dichlorethylene (DDE), methoxychlor, nicotine, and camphor. In recent times various insecticides have been used to protect museum artefacts against moths, woodborers and other insect pests. Caution has to be made because the presence of hazardous compounds can result in security problems for museum staff as well as for visitors.
Institute of Forensic Medicine, Bonn, Germany. f.musshoff@uni-bonn.de
Frank
F
Musshoff
Sandra
S
Gottsmann
Sylvia
S
Mitschke
Wilfried
W
Rosendahl
Burkhard
B
Madea
D002164:Camphor / Q000032:analysis; D003634:DDT / Q000032:analysis; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene / Q000032:analysis; D003632:Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005858:Germany; D007306:Insecticides / Q000032:analysis; D008731:Methoxychlor / Q000032:analysis; D009144:Museums; D009538:Nicotine / Q000032:analysis; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000032:analysis* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D010573:Pesticide Residues / Q000032:analysis
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007306:Insecticides; D052638:Particulate Matter; D010573:Pesticide Residues; D003633:Dichlorodiphenyl Dichloroethylene; D009538:Nicotine; D002164:Camphor; D003634:DDT; D008731:Methoxychlor; D003632:Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethane