A review of interactions in fluid-preserved specimen collections and their impact on conservation and collection maintenance

Warning: This article includes images of human remains and foetal development

Interactions in fluid-preserved specimen collections, like the collection at the Anatomical Museum LUMC in the Netherlands, involve the complex interplay between the preservative fluid, specimen tissue, container, and seal. This paper describes and discusses the newest insights into their related thermodynamic processes, such as fluid mixing, osmosis, diffusion, lipid leaching, (auto-)oxidation, corrosion, efflorescence growth, and their impact on preservation quality. With respect to conservation and collection care, several preventive and remedial options are proposed to minimise the possible adverse effects of these interactions. Overall, by linking preservation chemistry to preventive practices, the broader implications for sustainability, safety, and consistency in collection care can be better understood.