Contaminated air

Matthew Scott <matthews [at] hht__net__au> writes

>An unusual situation has arisen in a new purpose built storage area:
>the roof mounted airconditioning intake vent appear to be drawing
>air from the vicinity of the toilet/sewer flue.  This has resulted
>in a distinct odor of sewer/toilet in the storage area when the wind
>is blowing in a particular direction.
>
>I have been asked what impact/threat this poses to the collection
>(domestic orientated textiles, paper, books pictures etc) if it
>doesn't effect the RH and temperature. I assume that there is some
>form of airborne bacteria being sucked in along with organic gases.
>
>Apart from the obvious health issue and generally unpleasant odor,
>can anyone suggest impacts and threats to a collection from this
>situation.

Rather than worry about the potential risks, I'd recommend solving
the problem.  It should be easy enough to retrofit the plumbing vent
pipe with a carbon filter.  A friend of mine who is a plumber was
called in to fix a similar problem in a newly-renovated elementary
school, and the vent filters worked like a charm.

Will Jeffers
Collections Care Scientific Research Assistant
Scientific Research Laboratory
Museum of Fine Arts
465 Huntington Avenue
Boston MA 02115
617-369-3465
Fax: 617-369-3702


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 19:1
                 Distributed: Wednesday, June 15, 2005
                        Message Id: cdl-19-1-008
                                  ***