Search

Reports on research findings from Motherisk, a program through the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, involving pregnant women exposed to organic solvents during pregnancy. Full report in the March 23-31, 1999 `Journal of the American Medical Association'; What the solvents include; Findings that exposed women are more likely to have a deformed baby than unexposed women; Results of research; Study coauthor Sohail Khattak.

This article presents information on a study conducted by Marion F. Mecklenburg of the Smithsonian Institution's Conservation Analytical Laboratory in Suitland, Maryland which examined the process of deterioration and conservation of paintings in museums. Without intervention by art conservators, the process of decay would slowly transform museums into warehouses filled with hopelessly deteriorated objects. The healthy appearance of thousands of venerable artworks suggests the custodians of cultural heritage have successfully kept decay at bay. But appearances can mislead, warns Mecklenburg. Drawing from his experience as an art conservator, he suggests that even routine cleanings of oil paintings may hasten deterioration rather than delay it. Mecklenburg recalls unnerving occasions when paintings felt mushy during such procedures. Although mild soap solution may safely remove superficial dirt, conservators often use stronger organic solvents to remove top layers so old or discolored that they diminish a painting's aesthetic value. Most investigations by scientific conservators have focused on the chemical effects of acetone, alcohols and other organic solvents. But, Mecklenburg found that even a 5-second acetone swab on model paintings that mimic old oil paintings can produce potentially damaging stresses.