Hello Adam,
I have had good results with a herp specimen preserved with formalin. I
soaked the specimen for days in plain water to leach out the formalin.
I soaked it for at least a month changing the water several times.
Then, I gave the carcass to the beetles and they cleaned it beautifully
without ill effects! Following this, I soaked the cleaned bones in
dilute ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. No discoloration of bones at all.
Tonya Largy
Zooarchaeology Lab, Peabody Museum
Harvard University
adam heinrich wrote:
> Hi,
> I was wondering if anyone has experience cleaning specimens that may
> be preserved in a mixture of ethylene glycol, phenol, formalin, and
> water. I was wondering if this preservation could affect bone
> condition? Also, if the specimens are boiled down to remove the soft
> tissue, could boiling the preserved specimen release toxic fumes? Or
> would burial be a better method? A well ventilated lab is a given.
> Thanks, Adam Heinrich
>
>
>
> "Old crow of wisdom did say ...people of Asa land, it's only just
> begun..." Bathory
>
>
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