File:Tuna poster SPNHC22.jpg

Keywords – arsenic, XRF analyser, fish mount

Abstract: The Atlantic Bluefin Tuna in the Hunterian Zoology Museum at the University of Glasgow has long been an iconic object for staff, students and visitors. It was bought from a Glasgow fish market in 1830 by John Scouler, mounted and displayed at the Andersonian Museum before being acquired by the University and becoming a regular fixture on display ever since. From the mid 1970s it has been hanging in it's current position above the steps into the main gallery where many a year group has posed for a class photo. Research by Geoff Hancock and Maggie Reilly revealed its provenance and history but no detailed analysis of the chemicals used in it's preservation have been undertaken. A hand-held XRF analyzer was used to examine the tuna and ascertain if arsenic and mercury are present. This lightning talk will reveal if the tuna has been slowly poisoning generations of zoology students and if it's too dangerous to have on open display...