The use of pesticides in museums began in the eighteenth century and continued until
about fifty years ago. Indeed, there is evidence that some institutions were using substances like
arsenic as late as the 1960s. Today, though most museum professionals are aware of the danger
of these toxins, not all institutions are properly equipped or have procedures in place to ensure
the safety of their staff, interns, volunteers, or whoever else may come into contact with these
objects. Additionally, objects contaminated with pesticides have been returned to Native
American tribes in the wake of the Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act.
This raises concerns about the risks posed to human health and museums' liability in the event of
sickness resulting from pesticide residues. Museum professionals need to know what objects
have been treated, and with what. To what pesticides may they be exposed? What are the health
risks associated with the most persistent and troubling pesticides, those containing arsenic and
mercury? Are there effective means for detecting and mitigating these toxins? How do these
poisonous residues affect the fulfillment of NAGPRA? In order to shed some light on these
questions, a short survey was created and distributed through the Registrar's Committee of the
American Association of ~useums. The survey respondents in gen&al supported the idea that
even if the institution does not have anv evidence of vesticide contamination. it is good vractice
to treat the objects as if they were. The risks to human health posed by the f&neriy wiiespread
practice of pesticide use is simply too great to ignore. Though this survey may not represent a
sample with statistical significance, it does provide a basic understanding of the inconsistency of
museum practices across the board.