I agree that testing some soil samples would be a good idea. It would be wise. For the collection of the samples, it would be wise to assume that the material is contaminated and take the proper precautions until you know for sure. There was an earlier thread about health concerns in historic cemeteries. I responded with some articles that might be helpful to you as well in regards to sampling and possible health hazards.
Sent from my iPhone
> On Apr 19, 2019, at 1:11 PM, Bill Liebeknecht <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Does the university have the ability to run a few soil samples? You don't
> want to jump the gun until you know what you are dealing with and in what
> concentrations. Once you get the results then you will be better equipped
> to deal with the proper PPE.
>
> Bill Liebeknecht
>
> On Mon, Apr 15, 2019 at 8:16 PM David Raymond Carlson <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> Hi everyone,
>>
>> I'm planning on conducting my dissertation project at a Japanese American
>> sawmill town community in Western Washington, and I had a quick
>> safety-related question. There are a few depressions we identified through
>> surface survey that may be privies, and I'd like to excavate one or two of
>> them.
>>
>> However, I had two general concerns:
>>
>> 1. This community (and the sawmill company town it was a part of) were
>> subject to a health scare, and the City of Seattle Board of Health got
>> involved. The Board recommended that all dry closets be disinfected once
>> per week with a "saturated solution of sulphate of copper", or copper
>> sulphate. Suffice it to say, copper sulphate is unpleasant stuff, and I
>> worry about whether or not any of that solution (or perhaps just an excess
>> of copper?) is in the privies and, if so, how to deal with the health
>> hazard. If it is, I'm at a loss for how to deal with it.
>>
>> Does anyone have any advice/suggestions? Or for that matter, know if copper
>> sulphate sticks around for very long? I assume that even if it degrades
>> somehow, the copper is still around. Worst-case scenario, I just avoid
>> digging in the privies, but if I can manage it, that information would be
>> very helpful.
>>
>> 2. Does anyone have any good suggestions on literature for safety issues
>> around privies in general? I've searched, but can't find any (though I did
>> find one work on safety in archaeology that's been helpful).
>>
>> Thanks for any help you can give!
>>
>> --David
>>
>> =====================================================
>> David Carlson, M.A.
>> Co-Principal Investigator, *Issei* at Barneston Project
>> Project Website: *http://sites.uw.edu/davidrcn
>> <http://sites.uw.edu/davidrcn>*
>> Email: davidrcn[at]uw.edu
>>
>> PhD. Candidate, Archaeology Program
>> Department of Anthropology
>> University of Washington
>> Personal Website: http://davidrcarlson.net
>>
>> <http://uw.edu>
>>
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