Bouin's may be a good fixative but it is not only explosive under certain
conditions, it is also quite toxic. Disposal of some old Bouin's in our
polychaete collection meant calling in a Haz-Mat team in white containment
suits. Sometime after this event, I was changing what appeared to be
alcohol discolored by a black rubber seal when I began to have trouble
breathing. The fluid was actually unmarked Bouin's. Luckily it was a dilute
solution and the respiratory problem was a minor one, alleviated by wearing
an oxygen mask for 30 minutes. So be careful when using Bouin's and
always record its presence on specimen labels!
Leslie H. Harris
Collection Manager,
LACM-Allan Hancock Foundation Polychaete Collection tel: 213) 763-3234
Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History fax: 213) 746-2999
900 Exposition Boulevard email: lhharris at bcf.usc.edu
Los Angeles, California 90007 U.S.A.
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