Any acid treatment is liable to destroy DNA, which is quite sensitive to deviations from neutral pH. Acetic acid treatments can also cause recrystallization of the bone mineral, and thus alter it. See
Nielsen-Marsh CM, Hedges REM. 2000. Patterns of Diagenesis in Bone II: Effects of Acetic Acid Treatment and the Removal of Diagenetic CO32−. Journal of Archaeological Science 27:1151-1159.
Best wishes
Andrew
--
Dr. Andrew Millard
e: [log in to unmask] | t: +44 191 334 1147
w: http://www.dur.ac.uk/archaeology/staff/?id=160
Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, & Associate Director
of the Institute of Medieval & Early Modern Studies,
Durham University, UK
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Akshay Sarathi [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 20 October 2015 18:44
> Subject: Re: acetic acid
>
> Hello,
>
> I use a 5% acetic acid solution mixed with ultrapure water. Don't use
> vinegar; use glacial acetic acid. What bones are you trying to clean?
>
> Akshay Sarathi
> Doctoral Student
> Department of Anthropology (Archaeology)
> University of Wisconsin-Madison
> www.seaproject.org
>
> On Tue, Oct 20, 2015 at 11:34 AM, Eugene Morin <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>
> Dear zooarchers, I’m currently looking at a collection that
> comprises a few specimens that are partly covered with calcareous
> concretions. I was told that these concretions will dissolve in a
> water-based solution that contains acetic acid (vinegar). Does anyone
> knows if this can damage the bone or affect subsequent analyses,
> including radiocarbon dating and DNA analyses?
>
> Thanks,
> Eugene
>
>
> Eugene Morin
> Associate Professor
> Trent University, Dept. of Anthropology
> DNA Block C, 2140 East Bank Drive
> Peterborough, ON, Canada K9J 7B8
> Tel: 705-748-1011, ext. 7682 <tel:705-748-
> 1011%2C%20ext.%C2%A07682>
> http://www.trentu.ca/anthropology/morin.php
>
>
>
>
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