[PADG:1416] RE: Pyrethrum - effect on books

["Rekrut, Ala (CHT)" <ARekrut@xxxxxxxxx>]

According to the Canadian Conservation Institute's Technical Bulletin #15,
"Solving Museum Insect problems: Chemical Control" (1992), pyrethrum is used
as a contact insecticide used as a pressurized spray, dust, oil solution or
microencapsulated. Contact insecticides must come into contact with the
insect to be effective (this is not going to work if the insects are inside
library materials or have not hatched yet!).  Reactivity with materials is
unknown, but there is a possiblity of effects from solvents in the
formulation and CCI recomends that artifacts not come into contact with
insecticides containing pyrethrins or pyrethroids.  "Pyrethrins are often
combined with synergists ... to increase their effectiveness. Although
quick-acting and providing a rapid knock-down of insects, pyrethrins do not
always kill all the insects that are knocked down ...[so] they are often
combined with more residual insecticides."   This Bulletin has lots of
useful information and can be order from CCI:
http://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/frameset_e.shtml.  

I suggest speaking to Tom Strang at the CCI (613-998-3721) about pest
control options for libraries/archives, and also checking out the pest
management section of Conservation On-Line
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/bytopic/pest/.  Information about the
residual effects of pesticides will most likely be found in the museum
literature - books are pretty much just textiles, leather, and cellulose!

Good luck,
Ala Rekrut
Chief, Preservation Services
Provincial Archives of Manitoba
200 Vaughan Street
Winnipeg, MB  R3C 1T5
CANADA
(204) 945-1265
(204) 948-2008 fax
arekrut@xxxxxxxxx



> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Greg Bak [SMTP:gbak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent:	Thursday, August 09, 2001 9:06 AM
> To:	padg@xxxxxxx
> Subject:	[PADG:1414] Pyrethrum - effect on books
> 
> I have been doing some research lately on the use of the pesticide
> pyrethrum
> in libraries. Most of the literature these days deals with pesticides in
> the
> context of Integrated Pest Managment (IPM), and most arguments against
> using
> pesticides are based: (1) on effectiveness (it is more effective to
> eliminate those environmental factors that allow insects to flourish than
> to
> try to destroy them all); and (2) on the hazards to human health.
> Nonetheles, much of the IPM literature allows that in some instances it is
> necessary to augment the IPM approach with pesticides.
> 
> >From the research I have conducted so far, pyrethrum seems like a good
> pesticide to use within an IPM program - when applied correctly it poses
> minimal danger to human health and leaves no harmful residues. I have not
> been able, however, to find information about the effect of pyrethrum on
> the
> library materials themselves. Does anyone know of any studies that have
> looked at the chemical effects of pyrethrum (and other pesticides) on
> paper,
> bindings, etc.?
> 
> Greg Bak
> Collection Management Assistant for Preservation
> Du Bois Library
> University of Massachusetts
> Amherst, MA 01003
> Tel: 413 545 6877
> Fax: 413 545 6494
>  
> Email: gbak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:gbak@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>