This thesis focuses on the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) testing that was performed on the
University of Montanas (UM) ethnographic collection. This collection is housed in a repository
in the UM Anthropological Curation Facility (UMACF). The main concern over the artifacts
and the reason behind the decision to perform such testing was to determine if any hazardous
pesticides were used as part of past conservation treatments on the collection over the course of
its history at the University of Montana. The XRF tests were performed during the winter of
2011-2012 on over 350 artifacts. The results had been previously unanalyzed. The result of the
scanning yielded 844 graphs showing the levels of nine different heavy metals and elements.
These elements included arsenic, lead, mercury, bromine, barium, selenium, cadmium,
chromium, and antimony, all of which can be hazardous to humans who may interact with the
artifacts. Further, the presence of some of these elements, such as bromine, may indicate that
items were treated with pesticides.
A sample of 131 of the artifacts and 258 of the test results showed high concentrations of
arsenic, lead, and antimony on a majority of the artifacts. The cause of the readings could be
from a variety of means ranging from the manufacturing process of the items, environmental
influences, or pesticide dust from a previous application. The pesticide lead arsenate, however,
uses all three of the metals, lead, arsenic, and antimony. The presence of these three metals and
the high correlation between the concentration of lead and the concentration of arsenic could be
indicators that this pesticide was used in the collection.
The conclusion of the testing showed that although these elements may be detected on the
artifact, the results of XRF testing are inconclusive. XRF can provide researchers with the
information that the element is present but lacks any method to explain the reason behind it.
Further tests at the UMACF could prove vital in explaining these results. Until these additional
tests are complete, caution, such as using nitrile gloves and respirators should be used in the
collection when handling the artifacts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:MONTANA/oai:etd.lib.umt.edu:etd-08242014-212448 |
| Date | 24 October 2014 |
| Creators | Berger, Alexis |
| Contributors | Dr. Randall Skelton, Dr. Kelly Dixon, Dr. Nathan Goodale, Ms. Bethany Hauer |
| Publisher | The University of Montana |
| Source Sets | University of Montana Missoula |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.lib.umt.edu/theses/available/etd-08242014-212448/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Montana or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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