Australia's Science Forum

I believe Formaldehyde was stopped in NSW schools about 1999, when the CSIS came into force.

I am going to PD Day in Sydney and I think Preserved Specimens is a workshop so I will ask find out for you Meriyln

Thanks, Rosalie. I've been receiving hints since I started here 20 months ago about dealing with these, so I'm happy to wait a bit longer. Can't say it's on top of my list of priorities.

Hi All
From last Friday
take out the beasty and dry but not too long as they will start to black pat dry.
clean out the bottle very well or use a new one 1/2 fill with GLYCEROL place the beasty in and fill to the top.
make sur all air bubbles have gone befor replacing the lid .
Seal with wax and bingo new beasty's remember to label the jar with glycerol label
Hope this is helpfull.

My dictionary says for GLYCEROL see GLYCERIN does this sound right? Nice harmless solution if it works. Thanks noona

Yes, as far as I know, they are the same - just a different name.

I might be alone on this but this is my thought on the matter. We have numerous specimens which have been here much longer than I have (15 years) by the looks of them. They are very likely to be in formalin, no way of knowing. BUT I feel seeing the formalin is regarded as carcinogenic I am reluctant to go fiddling with them (do they actually pay us enough to expose ourselves to more nasties than we have to) and then find that the specimens distintegrate anyway. Sorry for the winge but I am more inclined to leave them as they are, but if there are new specimens to preserve, I don't have a problem with doing that using approved methods. I might add I have already had a bout of cancer which may or may not have been work related, and have been in the job for close to 25 years.

Yeah I'm with you Robyn, the ancient ones (40 yrs old at least) can stay as is until they completely disintergrate, (then chem collection can pick them up) but the metho ones I've done may get redone. (or not) Teacher knocked the dogfish over and broke it many years ago, I redid it into an ecology jar. Dont remember a smell tho'. I"m interested in our chem exposure and cancer and have become very strict. Things like alcohol (ethanol) and mineral oils (parrafin and baby oil etc) are even on my danger list!!!
Hope all goes well for you in the future.

I agree Robdean. The specimens had been here forever, and were not used that I know of. A casual teacher decided to get rid of the ones in her lab a few years ago so I stored them, but no one ever wanted them back. When the refurb happened, the lot went. We have animal and plant specimens in resin, that are easily transportable and these have always been used. If a teacher is wanting them redone let them do it. I'm sure we can always be too busy to do a rotten job like that. I wouldn't put myself at risk just because a teacher would like it done.

AGREED. We only bring these specimens out once a year so for that reason alone I will not be messing around with formalin Besides just the thought of touching those critters and the possibility that they may fall apart makes me want to vomit.

I will do a lot of things but working fixing up specimens is not going to be one of them. There is one here that is supposedly a cat placenta!! Makes my stomach turn thinking about getting that out of bottle.

Just read through this forum...so how do people get rid of their specimens?
I've just found some UNLABELLED (grrr!) snakes & embryos. The teachers didn't know they were there. I'm guessing they've been procured by the old Ag dept & somehow ended up in my chem store. Anyway, they have to go.
Is my only option a chemsal pick up (which would be quite expensive)? Any suggestions?

Quite some years ago, a casual teacher just boxed them up and put them in the skip bin. I didn't challenge her as I was glad to see them go. You know..ask no questions and all that. You wouldn't want to open them to see what they were preserved with, so if you're willing to pay for a chem pickup, well and good.

I had to get rid of ours through chemsal, but first I got in contact with all previous labbies. We managed to narrow the field and kept ones that we knew had been preserved in metho.

This problem was solved for me by arsonists!

I had been deliberating what to do with them but it's not a course of action I would recommend!

All my preserved specimens were kept in the prep room that was destroyed when the entire block was torched last year.
I don't miss the calf foetus, snakes, carp and other random things that had been put into formalin over the years.
I do miss the taxidermied owl.
My daughter bought me a soft toy owl that now has pride of place on the wall of the preproom to replace it. It is my Hedwig

wow fibreweb! that's quite dramatic! although I too would love my own Hedwig

One of our marine studies teachers took his class for a walk to the beach yesterday and a student found a dead, washed up yellow bellied sea snake. We are wanting to preserve it and our local uni have told us that 70% ethanol is the best for storing.
Our head teacher seems to think we are not allowed to keep specimens anymore in labs in schools. Can anyone advise any different or point me to any information on the department site that supports this please.

Science Assist has information on Biological preserved specimens specifically the risk with preserved specimens in formaldehyde. 70% ethanol is a possibility, you would have to complete a risk assessment making sure the the specimen would be stored in a suitable container, label indicating the solution,where will it be stored? The specimen needs to be stored under conditions to prevent deterioration of the specimen and the solution, stored in a cool dry place with good ventilation and a good seal around the lid of the container and taking into account its flammable.
Discuss with your head teacher to see if its worth it.

It's going to be in a flammable liquid and needs to be stored accordingly. You will also have to apply for a licence from Dept of Environment to keep a preserved specimen.

If you are a DoE school, as of 5 years ago we could. So unless the CSIS has changed, No as of 5 years ago NO Licence is needed.