Anoxia

Marcela Rossello de las Casas <marcelarossello [at] hotmail__com> writes

>I am interested in getting a fumigation chamber, I recall reading
>about an oxygen fumigation chamber called something like the Bubble.
>I would like to know if there is a manufacturer for this type of
>equipment or if one needs to build one for itself.  I will
>appreciate any information you can send me regarding inert gases
>fumigation chambers.

Please refer to The Abbey Newsletter, February 1990 (v.14 #1, p.
16).  The article, entitled Safe Nontoxic Pest Control for Books by
Kymron de Cesare, describes the very simple fumigation chamber made
for the University of California, Davis Preservation Dept.  I will
quote the part about materials:

   "Argon has advantages over most other methods.  Vacuum methods
    and flash-freezing involve more elaborate and expensive
    equipment.  Pesticides or gases such as ethylene oxide are
    toxic, environmentally unsound, at least as expensive as argon
    gas, and oftentimes require the use of chambers or rooms that
    are permanently dedicated to that use only.  The use of argon
    requires a cylinder of gas (about $20 for the gas), a regulator
    for the cylinder (about $150), and an airtight container.  The
    container can be plastic bags, trash cans, enclosed wheeled
    carts, or whatever best suits the institution's needs."  (Note
    1990 prices)

Let me know if you are interested in the entire article and are
unable to find a back issue of the Abbey Newsletter.

Wendy Jones
Preservation Dept., Shields Library
University of California, Davis
Davis CA 95616
530-752-6040


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 15:57
                 Distributed: Friday, February 15, 2002
                       Message Id: cdl-15-57-003
                                  ***