Here is some more information regarding V.S. on film and tapes.
I quote ...
" Close contact ( touching or sniffing ) severely degraded acetate and nitrate
film could be hazardous to your health.
Acetate acid and other acidic products associated with film decay can produce
contact burns and skin and mucous- membrane irritation. Dizziness and light -
headedness can occur.
Wear protective gloves and work in a well ventilated area when handling degraded film "
My advice is to do what I do chuck the stuff in the bin, Unless of course you
have an extremely rare print in your collection that is not available in
any other format. In such cases transfer said print to new stock and dump
the degraded one right away.
We are after all only film collectors and not film archivists.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED !!!!