Bronze disease

Kimberly Machovec-Smith <kmachovecsmith [at] mfa__org> writes

>We are looking for recent information on the use of silver oxide or
>zinc dust as alternative treatments to BTA for local treatment of
>bronze disease. We have done a review of the literature and would
>like to know if anyone has any practical experience using these
>treatments.

I have lots of experience with the silver oxide method of treatment
of bronze disease a la Robert Organ.  Usually works a treat, but
sometimes takes three or four repeats before you get every spot.  I
use a 10-gallon aquarium for high humidity exposure, and sometimes
take time-lapse photographs to see the spots developing.

Small triangular scrapers are good for excavating the spots, and an
aspirator vacuum or foot-operated vacuum cleaner with fine tip for
removing the excavated copper chloride before applying silver oxide
(with ethanol).

Tom Chase


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 17:65
                  Distributed: Thursday, April 8, 2004
                       Message Id: cdl-17-65-003
                                  ***