Hazards Of Preservation

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HAZARD NOTICE: After you decide to preserve a cemetery and before you begin PLEASE note that there are HAZARDS involved with preservation. Health hazards associated with pre-1910 embalming practices. There are also hazards associated with the headstones them selves. Please take a moment to read our HAZARDS that are known to science as well as experienced preservationists. EXPOSURE TO HIGHER THAN AVERAGE LEVELS OF ARSENIC CAN BE FATAL. EXPOSURE TO LOWER LEVELS FOR A LONG TIME CAN CAUSE A DISCOLORATION OF THE SKIN AND THE APPEARANCE OF SMALL CORNS OR WARTS. How Can Preserving A Cemetery Be A Hazard? The first embalming preparations were arsenic solutions. Rather than prevent the body from returning to its natural elements, embalming allows the body to decompose by oxidation and dissolution rather than by putrefaction or rotting. It wasnt until the year of 1910 that the use of Arsenic was banned by the federal government for the use of embalming due to the high rate of deaths that were occurring to undertakers. What is Arsenic? Arsenic is a naturally occurring element widely distributed in the earth's crust. In the environment, arsenic is combined with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Arsenic cannot be destroyed in the environment. It can only change its form. Why was Arsenic Used? Arsenic, an embalming agent in common use between 1850 and 1910, is a highly toxic substance. Six patents for embalming fluid issued between 1856 and 1873 included as little as four ounces to as much as 12 pounds of arsenic per body. Because arsenic does not breakdown over time, it can be expected to move into the surrounding soil or leach into the ground water below cemeteries. Due to inadequate records kept concerning the numbers of people embalmed in the second half of the nineteenth century; it is nearly impossible to predict how much arsenic might be expected in any given cemetery dating to this period. During the Civil War, many families were given the option of requesting that the body of their loved one be shipped home for burial. Dr. Thomas Holmes was in charge of setting up battlefield embalming stations for the Union Army. Arsenic was an ideal embalming agent because it preserved the body well, and Holmes instructed multiple embalmers in this technique. After the Civil War ended, these embalmers returned to their hometowns and utilized this new procedure. By the 1890's, arsenic embalming was the primary embalming method utilized by the funeral home industry, although other methods used mercury and other chemicals as well... How To Protect Yourself: Even if arsenic is absent from the grave, there is the possibility that other chemical hazards (e.g., mercury or formaldehyde) may be present if the interment post-dates ca. 1850. There is also a slight possibility that pathogens may be present (depending upon type and soil conditions). At a minimum, therefore, good basic hygiene should be practiced. Care should be taken avoid excess contact with soil. Hands should be washed thoroughly before smoking or eating. It is HIGHLY recommended that latex gloves and work gloves are worn when working in a cemetery. If chemicals are present in the soil then its present within growth. According to rock and mineral field guides, arsenic minerals have a noticeable garlic-like odor when broken and arsenic, in soil, is an airborne agent. It is also HIGHLY recommended that the use of masks (such as painters masks) be utilized. So please remember, for your safety, that extreme caution should be used especially if unusual odors, soil colors, lusters, staining, or unfamiliar materials (particularly in finely divided or crystalline form) are noted. Preserving a cemetery is very rewarding but life is more rewarding. PLEASE take heed of warnings. Arsenic poisonings arent something one wants to experience nor take lightly.
OUTDOOR HAZARDS ASSOCIATED WITH CEMETERY PRESERVATION: TICKS: Ticks are blood feeding external parasites of mammals, birds, and reptiles throughout the world. Approximately 850 species have been described worldwide. There are two well established families of ticks, the Ixodidae (hard ticks), and Argasidae (soft ticks). Both are important vectors of disease causing agents to humans and animals throughout the world. Ticks transmit the widest variety of pathogens of any blood sucking arthropod, including bacteria, rickettsiae, protozoa, and viruses. Some human diseases of current interest in the United States caused by tick-borne pathogens include Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, rocky mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and tick-borne relapsing fever. Many hard ticks can go for several months without feeding if not unduly duressed by environmental conditions. Anytime you are working in a cemetery it is wise to wear long pants, socks and shoes (either work boots or tennis shoes) and long sleeve shirts (at least wear the shirts till the grass is mowed). To better protect yourself, tuck your pants into your socks to prevent ticks from entering threw your pant legs. REMEMBER to always check your outer attire before leaving the cemetery and fully check under your clothes and areas with hair as soon as possible. SNAKES: Snakes differ in different areas. Most are the same but check your with a local wildlife association for a list of snakes in your area. There is a variety of snakes that thrive in cemeteries. Copperhead: The copperhead is a venomous snake with a broad triangular head, vertically elliptical pupils and a heat sensitive pit between each eye and nostril. The body is pinkish to grayish brown with brown or reddish-brown cross bands that are narrow on the back and widest on the sides. Small dark spots commonly occur between cross bands on the back. The unpatterned head is dull orange, copper or rusty-red. Body scales are keeled (a ridge running the length of each scale) and the belly is pink or light brown with dark blotches along the sides. When young, a copperhead has a yellow-tipped tail. So many cemeteries are covered with high grass and leaves which is a wonderful habitat for a Copperhead. When approached, they will either move away quietly or lay motionless, relying on camouflage to protect them. Occasionally, they will vibrate their tails. Bites usually occur when people unknowingly step on or touch unseen snakes. Despite the venomous nature of copperhead bites, they are rarely fatal. Diamondback Rattle Snake: Eastern Diamond is dark brown and black in color. Western is dark and light brown in color. The Diamondback Rattle is the most dangerous in America. A Diamondback can reach 6 feet tall. It has characteristic loud buzzing rattler sound. Their venom contains at least two poisonous, protein-based substances. One, a neurotoxin, depresses the action of the heart and lungs; the other, a hemotoxin, damages blood vessels and other tissue. The Diamondback has a forked tongue which is uses to taste the air, find its prey or to detect a predator. Rattle snakes are recognized by a loose, horny rattle at the end of the tail, which is shaken vigorously to warn off intruders. The bite is very painful and an cause problems but rarely results in death. If you come into the path of a Diamondback calmly back away, (do not turn and run), if it strikes jump back as much as possible. Diamondbacks are most likely to stand their ground and guard their territory. Other snakes in this category with the Diamondback is the Timber Rattlesnake (which gives no warning before striking). Coral Snake of North America: A Coral snake can be identified by its colors. Banded with red, white, or yellow and black on which the red and yellow bands lie beside each other and the snout is black. Typically very small by comparison, averaging only 20 inches or so, this snake is seldom seen and tends to be very nocturnal and spends much of its time underground in cracks and crevices. The Coral snake is likely the most gaudy of North American venomous snakes. When disturbed the Coral snake often lays its head out of sight and rattles its flattened elevated tail and emits a popping sound with its vent lining. A Coral snakes venom is very toxic and can cause death. This deadly snake also provides venom that is used in antiserum for snakebites. Their venom is also being used (and succeeding) for cures of many disabilitating diseases such as cancer and Aids. ANTS: Different ants can be located at cemeteries and some can pack a powerful punch to their bite and some can cause health problems as well. Acanthomyops interjectus: The ants of this exclusively North American genus nest in the soil, usually beneath objects, under stones or other objects and also in rotting logs and stumps. They are mostly subterranean in habit. This ant is common in yards, cemeteries and close to buildings. This is the most common ant in America. Fire Ants: This is an imported species of ant which originated in South America. They infest 260 million acres of land in 9 southeastern states. A member of the Hymenoptera family, which includes wasps and bees. They build their mounds in sunny, open areas and are ready to attach anyone who disrupts their mound. If a fire ant ist removed quickly after the first initial bite it pivots around on its mandibles and inflicts further stings in a circular pattern releasing high concentrations of venom. Their venom restricts the release of histamine and other vasoactive amines from mast cells. The result is large pustules to form on bite sites.
DO NOT DO ANY OF THIS TO HEADSTONES: Shaving Cream: DO NOT USE SHAVING CREAM TO READ HARD TO READ HEADSTONES. Most people who have some experience in the area know that this is not a good practice and by doing so you can cause irreparable damage to the stone itself. Shaving cream, of all kinds, contains perfumes and stearic acid. Stearic acid is a white crystalline fatty acid obtained by hard fats which is used in creams for scar and skin lesion reduction. This acid is stronger than acid rain. 3xs stronger to be exact. Some shaving creams, such as Gillette Series line, have replaced stearic acid with palmitic acid, which is somewhat safer for your face but still has the same effect on stone. Shaving cream contains chemicals, greasy emollients that are sticky and very difficult to remove from the stone with a simple washing. The cream fills the pours of the porous stone as a result will discolor and damage the stone. DONT USE SHAVING CREAM, CHALK, GRAPHITE, DIRT OR OTHER CONCOCTIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO READ WORN INSCRIPTIONS. Why not use the safest cream? To begin with, the exact formula in shaving creams are corporate trade secrets. ALL creams cause the surface to exfoliate (scale, splinter). Marble and Limestone are highly reactive to acids, and will actually sublimate in the presence of hydrochloric acid. That means it will go from solid to a vapor with out a liquid stage as it releases certain parts of its chemical structure. All chemicals in shaving cream are biodegradable. Since they are biodegradable, they provide food for microscopic organisms, fungi, mosses, etc. Only completely chemically inert materials should ever contact a tombstone. The residue from Styrofoam inert, therefore not chemically damaging. The only problem with this is the pressure being applied to the stone may cause damage. When pressing on old stone it tends to crumble. DO NOT DO ANY OF THIS TO HEADSTONES: What About Rubbing Headstones: Headstone rubbings is another problem. Some people rub chalk directly on the stone and some use paper and black chalk. This is a good method but has a lot of serious problems. When attaching the paper to the stone to get a proper reading you must do this with tape which leaves residue behind and when the initial tape is removed it also takes particles from the stone. The pressure on the stone, especially an old stone, is damaging. You may think that the amount of pressure you put on the stone didnt cause any cracks but it weakens the stone from the inside and at the base. Papers carry chemicals which bonds the particles of the paper together, you dont think its just cut that way from a tree do you. I have seen people apply regular street chalk directly onto stones, which causes damage itself. No matter what the package of street chalk says, it DOES NOT wash way with the next rain. Take some of this chalk out to your street and make a mark you will see that after the next rain it is still there. If this chalk is applied to the stone and the sun shines on it for a period of time it stains the stone that color. God made the weather unpredictable. ALL stones have pores, and this chalk gets into those pores and DOES NOT come out no matter the amount of water that is used. Best way to read warn inscriptions would be foil and a very soft bristle brush. Best foil would be the cheapest you can find. Why? The expensive foils are made to be tough, cheap foil isnt. Why a soft bristle brush and what is the best kind? A soft bristle brush with at least a 3 inch handle is time consuming to use due to it being soft but absolutely no pressure is applied to the stone. The best to use is a paintbrush. A brush with a flat handle is very uncomfortable for the hand to hold for long periods of time and does require pressure that you might not know you are using. For more information on best ways to read hard to read stones please see our How To page for some great tips that we personally use as well as those from experts that have been in working with stones for almost 20 years. Rubbing Dirt Into The Stone For A Better Reading: Some use dirt as a highlighter. Why not, they say, the stone has been in the same elements as the dirt. Granted this is true, but you were to remove a stone and look at the damage that occurred to the portion under ground you would be able to see that it is deteriorated. This is why a lot of stones fall from the base. By rubbing dirt into the inscription you introduce microscopic organisms, fungi, mosses, etc. Which deteriorated the base and will do the same to the rest of the stone. Bleaching: DO NOT BLEACH ANY STONE PERIOD!!!! Yes bleaching will kill fungi, moss and other organisms but it will damage the stone. ALL bleaches contain Sodium Hypochlorite, which is an unstable salt. This will eat its way into the stone even if completely cleaned. Bleaches also contain Chlorofluorocarbon. This is a gaseous compound that contains carbon, chlorine, fluorine and hydrogen, which is used in refrigerants, cleaning solvents and aerosol propellants. The problem with that mix is the hydrogen. Every one knows that hydrogen is a gas. When applied to a surface it turns into a flammable liquid. Which is why it removes stains so well and is also highly lethal. This will cause the stone to liquefy in a very short time. What About Using Graphite? Graphite is a carbon substance. Graphite is used in pencil lead and carbon paper as well as in batteries because graphite contains Sulphuric Acid. Sulphuric Acid is a heavy CORROSIVE oily oxidizing and dehydrating agent. I think corrosive explains enough on why not to use Graphite. We want to save these stones not have them fall apart in our hands.
These HAZARDS Arent Jokes, They Are Proven Facts. Cemetery Preservation Is A Serious Commitment And Should Not Be Taken Lightly.