Mary -

Quite frankly we haven't dealt with this, other than to box all the various
bottles, boxes, etc. containing who knows what, in corrugated plastic
bankers boxes and left them in storage - and at the advice of our Health
and Safety Office we place adhesive "CAUTION HAZARDOUS MATERIAL" labels on
the outside of each box.

When we moved this collection, we realized the potential problem and
consulted our Health and Safety folks.  I don't remember the full
discussion at the time, but I do recall that the suggestion from them and a
private environmental laboratory was to dispose of them at the
environmental waste dump.  The cost was going to be astronomical - and no
one was interested in trying to separate the contents from the package -
which we did want to keep.

So for the time being, the remain in storage ... mutating - we hope not -
into some other chemical compound.

Tom



At 08:23 PM 11/18/1997 -0800, you wrote:
>Well, I couldn't think of a zippy title for this topic. What is the current
>practice regarding liquids in history collections, such as in medical
>bottles, photographic chemical bottles, cleaning agents, and even toilet
>article bottles? Do you dispose of the liquid or powder, which could be
>considered hazardous I suppose, or keep the item in tact? Do you decide on
>a case by case basis? I'm curious what others do. Thanks!
>
>Mary Ames Sheret
>Southern Oregon Historical Society
>
>


Thomas A. Reitz
Manager/Curator
Doon Heritage Crossroads
R.R. #2
Kitchener, Ontario  N2G 3W5
Canada

Telephone:      519-748-1439  ext 227
Fax:            519-748-0009
Email:          [log in to unmask]
http:           www.region.waterloo.on.ca/doon

Plan Now to Attend "A Day in the Life ... Living History of the Everyday",
the 27th Annual Meeting and Conference of the Association for Living
Historical Farms and Agricultural Museums, at the University of Waterloo,
Waterloo, Ontario -
June 21 to 25, 1998.