It is possible that anthrax could be present on horse hairs and I have come across cases where it has been tested for. Anthrax was once more common in the UK than it is now and its presence on hair, especially hair on its tail, which would be close to a orifice (I'll leave you to guess what that might be) where the anthrax spores will be produced whilst the animal is dying. If the spores survive and don't germinate during the plastering process then the spore can still be viable in the plaster. They could be unviable (not able to return to a living state) or be viable (able to return to a living state). That fact that the lots of people don't seem to die from anthrax whilst renovating old houses would suggest that the problem is not massive, however, the risk remains.
Recent cases of people who have died from anthrax have been from illegally imported hides for making drums and a certain drug which had been cut with an anthrax infected material, a truly gruesome way to die.
I do know something other than gasworks.
Best Regards
Dr Russell Thomas
BSc(Hons), PhD, CBIOL, MSB, MIENVSc, CEnv, MSCI
Technical Director, Environment
Parsons Brinckerhoff
44-(0)7879-602-509
-----Original Message-----
From: Contaminated Land Management Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Russell Corbyn
Sent: 09 June 2011 14:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: horse hair in plaster - anthrax
Mark
We do a lot of render, screed, mortar, plaster etc. testing and this material was commonly used in plasters and lime ash floors (along with straw) etc. and is quite common in older buildings. We have never had to test for anthrax in horse hair containing plaster though. Brilliant, wouldn't the horse have been buried and shot, or even the other way around...(doh). That's a new one on me!
Kind regards
Russell
Russell Corbyn MRSC FGS
Senior Environmental Chemist
CMT (Testing) Limited, Unit 5 Prime Parkway, Prime Enterprise Park, Derby. DE1 3QB
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-----Original Message-----
From: Contaminated Land Management Discussion List [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Marc Fawcett
Sent: 09 June 2011 13:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: horse hair in plaster - anthrax
Its been flagged up that before we undertake a structural survey testing for horse hair is required due to potential for anthrax.
Has anyone got any recent experience / guidance on this?
I've done loads of anthrax potential sites in the past but nothing to do with plaster.
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