Potential Pesticide Contamination in Repatriated Artifacts in African Museums: The Need for the Adoption of Safety Protocols for Access and Use of Hazardous Artifacts

ABSTRACT

This article discusses the issue of potential pesticide contaminants in artifacts that are being repatriated by museums from the global north to Africa. It highlights that the issue of scientific testing of artifacts for harmful pesticide contaminants is missing from the repatriation discourse in African museums. Consequently, safety protocols for handling and use of these potentially contaminated artifacts have not been established in some African museums. This is worsened by lack of legislations that enforce the testing of the artifacts and the establishment of safety protocols for accessing them. This exposes museum staff, researchers and other visitors to health effects caused by toxic chemicals in artifacts. In light of this, the article recommends that repatriation of artefacts to African museums should be preceded by scientific testing of artifacts to determine the possible toxic pesticide contaminants on them, and to establish safety protocols for their handling and use. Further, it argues that qualified collections care staff and conservators from African museums should be involved in repatriation negotiations to enforce scientific testing of artifacts and establish safety measures for their handling and use before they are repatriated to Africa. The article also recommends that pesticide treatment information should accompany repatriated artifacts.

RÉSUMÉ

Cet article traite de la question des contaminants potentiels issus de pesticides présents dans les artéfacts qui sont rapatriés par les musées des pays du Nord vers l'Afrique. Il souligne que la question de l'analyse scientifique des artéfacts pour détecter la présence des contaminants dangereux issus de pesticides est absente du discours sur le rapatriement dans les musées africains. Par conséquent, les protocoles de sécurité pour la manipulation et l'utilisation de ces artéfacts potentiellement contaminés n'ont pas été établis dans certains musées africains. Cette situation est aggravée par l'absence de législation imposant l'analyse des artéfacts et l'établissement de protocoles de sécurité pour y accéder. Cela expose le personnel des musées, les chercheurs et les autres visiteurs à des effets sur la santé causés par les produits chimiques toxiques présents dans les artéfacts. Dans ce contexte, l'article recommande que le rapatriement d'artéfacts dans les musées africains soit précédé d'analyses scientifiques des objets afin de déterminer la présence éventuelle de contaminants toxiques issus de pesticides et d'établir des protocoles de sécurité pour leur manipulation et leur utilisation. En outre, il plaide pour que le personnel qualifié chargé de l'entretien des collections et les conservateurs-restaurateurs des musées africains soient impliqués dans les négociations de rapatriement afin d'imposer des analyses scientifiques sur les objets et d'établir des mesures de sécurité pour leur manipulation et leur utilisation avant qu'ils ne soient rapatriés en Afrique. L'article recommande également que des informations relatives au traitement à l'aide de pesticides accompagnent les artéfacts rapatriés. Traduit par Anne-Stéphanie Etienne.

RESUMO

Este artigo discute a questão dos potenciais contaminantes de agrotóxicos em artefatos que estão sendo repatriados por museus do hemisfério norte para a África. Ele destaca que a questão do teste científico de artefatos para contaminantes nocivos de pesticidas ausente do discurso de repatriação em museus africanos. Consequentemente, protocolos de segurança para manuseio e uso desses artefatos potencialmente contaminados não foram estabelecidos em alguns museus africanos. Isso é agravado pela falta de legislações que imponha testes dos artefatos e o estabelecimento de protocolos de segurança para acessá-los. Isso expõe a equipe do museu, pesquisadores e outros visitantes a problemas de saúde causados ⁣⁣por produtos químicos tóxicos nos artefatos. Em vista disso, o artigo recomenda que o repatriamento de artefatos para museus africanos seja precedido por testes científicos para determinar os possíveis contaminantes de pesticidas tóxicos neles presentes e estabelecer protocolos de segurança para seu manuseio e uso. Além disso, argumenta que a equipe técnica de cuidados de coleções e os conservadores de museus africanos devem estar envolvidos nas negociações de repatriação para impor testes científicos dos artefatos e estabelecer medidas de segurança para seu manuseio e uso antes de serem repatriados para a África. O artigo também recomenda que as informações sobre o tratamento de pesticidas acompanhem os artefatos repatriados. Traduzido por Beatriz Haspo.

RESUMEN

Este artículo analiza el tema de los posibles contaminantes con pesticidas en artefactos que están siendo repatriados por museos del norte global al África. Destaca que el tema de las pruebas científicas de artefactos para encontrar contaminantes de pesticidas nocivos no existeen el discurso de repatriación a los museos africanos. Por consiguiente, no se han establecido protocolos de seguridad para el manejo y uso de estos artefactos potencialmente contaminados en algunos museos africanos. Esto se ve agravado por la falta de legislación que obligue a hacer las pruebas en los artefactos y el desarrollo de protocolos de seguridad para acceder a ellos. Esto expone al personal del museo, a los investigadores y a otros visitantes a los efectos nocivos para la salud causados ⁣⁣por las sustancias químicas tóxicas en los artefactos. En vista de esto, este artículo recomienda que la repatriación de artefactos a museos africanos debe estar precedida por pruebas científicas en los artefactos para determinar los posibles contaminantes tóxicos de pesticidas en ellos y establecer protocolos de seguridad para su manejo y uso. Además, argumenta que el personal calificado para el cuidado de las colecciones y los conservadores de los museos africanos deben participar en las negociaciones de repatriación para hacer cumplir las pruebas científicas en los artefactos y establecer medidas de seguridad para su manejo y uso antes de que sean repatriados al África. El artículo también recomienda que la información sobre el tratamiento con pesticidas acompañe a los artefactos repatriados. Traducción: Amparo Rueda.

KEYWORDS:

• Africa
• contamination
• conservation
• decolonization
• pesticides
• repatriation
• restitution
• safety protocols

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by University of Pretoria.

Notes on contributors

Davison Chiwara

Davison Chiwara is a PhD candidate with the University of Pretoria focusing on Heritage and Museum Studies. His PhD focuses on the discovery of pesticides contaminants on organic collections at the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe and assessing their effects on the safety of users and the conservation of collections. He is also a lecturer in the Department of Archaeology, Cultural Heritage and Museum Studies at Midlands State University in Zimbabwe. Address: Tangible Heritage Conservation, University of Pretoria Faculty of Humanities, Gauteng, Pretoria, South Africa.

Siona O'Connell

Professor Siona O'Connell, PhD, is an African Studies scholar at The School of the Arts at the University of Pretoria. Her research focus falls within three areas, that of Memory Studies, Creative Studies, and Restorative Justice in postcolonial and post-apartheid South Africa. She is widely respected for her work on land restitution in South Africa as well as for research on women of South Africa's clothing and textile industry. She has curated numerous exhibitions and directed and produced eight film documentaries that emerge out of her commitment to research that is focused in trauma, memory, and belonging in post-apartheid South Africa.

Maggi Loubser

Maggi Loubser is an analytical chemist who has worked for three decades in the mining and manufacturing industry, in government, academia; she also runs her own consulting company. In 2019 she was appointed by University of Pretoria, South Africa to run the new master's program in Tangible Heritage Conservation. She is currently teaching science to students with a humanities background to equip them to better understand the materials they work with in conservation and research of cultural heritage objects.