Testing for formaldehyde in the museum environment

Formaldehyde has been used for specimen preservation for decades, though in recent years museums have been reducing use of the chemical due to the health and safety hazards it causes to both collections and staff members. Despite the chemical’s physical absence from a facility, traces of the chemical may remain in the museum’s indoor environment, creating a severe health and preservation issue for the well-being of the institution. Using the Natural Science Research Laboratory at the Museum of Texas Tech as a test case, the various tools and methods used to detect formaldehyde were evaluated within the museum environment. Additionally, guidelines for detecting and disposing of formaldehyde were reported.