Comments on: The jar test

By: SusanE

SusanE — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 05:45:32 +0000

Yes, I learned this method several years ago while working with archives in a large repository. It essentially speeds up and increases the chemical reactions. The advice was to put it in a clean jar, screw the lid on tight, and leave it for 2 days in a southern window where it gets light and heat.
I suppose if one has no southern exposure you could try sitting it on a heating pad for a short, or for varied increments of time. (Works for getting liquid medications closer to body temp, too, like eye drops.) One can also sit a bottle close to and under a light, because even a 60 watt desk light will produce heat. The nice thing about a southern window is it will be exposed to UV light, too, and one can test materials for tolerance of Both heat + light. (Used to put a drop-light on my manifold in the winter, before someone developed chemical HEET-to keep gas line from freezing.) Archivists use this method to determine whether a material, e.g., paper, has acids or lignin, or impurities, or whatever, and will stand the test of time. I prefer mayonaise jars. Too bad we can’t test everything for global warming with this method!

By: Amy

Amy — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 01:44:08 +0000

Good call about warming the jar up. Heat for sure will release more of the chemicals.

Donovan, you are lucky that you have an outgassing room! I live in a studio now, so I have no space to hide things.

By: Donovan Banerjee

Donovan Banerjee — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:31:53 +0000

Thank you very much for this. I will try it. It is better than “living in the jar” so to speak, by just randomly bringing something into my environment, and “hoping” it is okay.

I have an offgassing room in which I keep things until they are safe, but sometimes they aren’t.

By: carys

carys — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:15:05 +0000

i often put the jar in the sun, as the heat seems to help release vocs.

and for me it’s very important to open the jar *outside* (to not contaminate my safe house space) and to be very careful that i neither stick my nose down close to it nor take a deep breath (so that if i do react, i get the smallest possible exposure). if i don’t seem to react i’ll move it closer and gently sniff again, then close the jar and leave it in the sun for 2 more days, then retest (in case one exposure might have sensitised me).

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:47:39 +0000

After I have followed all the steps on the MCSCanadian site, I also will heat the item up slightly to see how it is when it is warm. Warming something will activate chemicals more, usually.

By: linda

linda — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:55:57 +0000

Thanks Amy. This method is indeed a very important and helpful one for us.

For those of us who need every step spelled out, there is a more detailed explanation here:
http://www.mcscanadian.org/howto.html