scholarly journals Plasticiser loss in heritage collections: its prevalence, cause, effect, and methods for analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rose King ◽  
Josep Grau-Bové ◽  
Katherine Curran
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Preventive Conservation ◽  
Migration Rates ◽  
Poly Vinyl Chloride ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Heritage Science ◽  
Non Destructive ◽  
Heritage Collections

AbstractPlasticiser loss is a topic frequently mentioned in discussions on the degradation of plastic artefacts in museum collections, particularly for plasticised poly (vinyl chloride) and cellulose acetate. Plasticisers may migrate to the plastic’s surface and remain as a deposit, or volatilise into the surrounding environment, both presenting an aesthetic issue and impacting the future stability of the plastic. This paper draws on the work of conservation science, materials degradation, and indoor air quality/emissions studies, to review our current understanding of plasticiser loss. The influence of the material’s intrinsic properties, and environmental factors on migration rates are discussed and related to preventive conservation practices. The methods by which plasticiser migration is studied, including characterisation, are also reviewed, with a particular focus on minimally invasive and non-destructive methods suitable for heritage science research.

scholarly journals Non-Destructive Detection of Pentachlorophenol Residues in Historical Wooden Objects

Polymers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1052
Author(s):  
Ida Kraševec ◽  
Nataša Nemeček ◽  
Maja Lozar Štamcar ◽  
Irena Kralj Cigić ◽  
Helena Prosen
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Room Temperature ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Contact Mode ◽  
Solvent Extraction Method ◽  
Museum Objects ◽  
Wooden Furniture ◽  
Non Destructive ◽  
Heritage Collections

Wood is a natural polymeric material that is an important constituent of many heritage collections. Because of its susceptibility to biodegradation, it is often chemically treated with substances that can be harmful to human health. One of the most widely used wood preservatives was pentachlorophenol (PCP), which is still present in museum objects today, although its use has been restricted for about forty years. The development of non-destructive methods for its determination, suitable for the analysis of valuable objects, is therefore of great importance. In this work, two non-destructive solid-phase microextraction (SPME) methods were developed and optimized, using either headspace or contact mode. They were compared with a destructive solvent extraction method and found to be suitable for quantification in the range of 7.5 to 75 mg PCP/kg wood at room temperature. The developed semi-quantitative methods were applied in the wooden furniture depot of National Museum of Slovenia. PCP was detected inside two furniture objects using headspace mode. The pesticide lindane was also detected in one object. The indoor air of the depot with furniture was also sampled with HS SPME, and traces of PCP were found. According to the results, SPME methods are suitable for the detection of PCP residues in museum objects and in the environment.

scholarly journals Plastics in Heritage Collections: Poly(vinyl chloride) Degradation and Characterization

2020 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 993-1013
Author(s):  
Tjaša Rijavec
Keyword(s):  
Vinyl Chloride ◽  
Degradation Products ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Preventive Conservation ◽  
Dsc Studies ◽  
Poly Vinyl Chloride ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Plastic Materials ◽  
Conjugated Polyenes ◽  
Heritage Collections

Museums and galleries house increasingly large collections of objects and contemporary art made of plastic materials, many of which undergo rapid material change. The main degradation processes of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) are elimination of HCl and plasticizer migration or leaching. This results in visible discolouration, stickiness and cracking. Degradation is known to be a multi-stage process that includes HCl elimination, formation of conjugated polyenes and cross-linking. Elimination of HCl begins due to structural irregularities (allylic and tertiary chlorides) and results in the formation of polyenes. When at least 7 conjugated double bonds are present, discolouration of PVC becomes visible. Non-invasive techniques, such as IR and Raman spectroscopy are used for polymer identification and plasticizer quantification. Plasticizer degradation and particularly the late stages of PVC degradation can be investigated using SEC, GC-MS, TGA and DSC. Studies in heritage collections have revealed that, apart from HCl, PVC objects emit 2-ethylhexanol and other volatile degradation products, however, there is currently no indication that HCl is emitted at usual indoor conditions. There seems to be a general lack of systematic research into PVC degradation at the conditions of storage and display, which could result in the development of dose-response functions and in the development of preventive conservation guidelines for the management of PVC collections.

scholarly journals Realizing the transformative potential of conservation through the social sciences, arts and humanities

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan Bennett ◽  
Robin Roth
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Science Research ◽  
Science Research ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Arts And Humanities ◽  
Transformative Potential ◽  
The Arts ◽  
The Social ◽  
Conservation Actions

Conservation actions most often occur in peopled seascapes and landscapes. As a result, conservation decisions cannot rely solely on evidence from the natural sciences, but must also be guided by the social sciences, the arts and the humanities. However, we are concerned that too much of the current attention is on research that serves an instrumental purpose, by which we mean that the social sciences are used to justify and promote status quo conservation practices. The reasons for engaging the social sciences, as well as the arts and the humanities, go well beyond making conservation more effective. In this editorial, we briefly reflect on how expanding the types of social science research and the contributions of the arts and the humanities can help to achieve the transformative potential of conservation.

Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Its Applications for Ceramic Analysis

2016 ◽  
pp. 381-398
Author(s):  
Marcia Rizzutto ◽  
Manfredo Tabacniks
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Heritage ◽  
Systematic Research ◽  
Ceramic Analysis ◽  
Pixe Analysis ◽  
Preventive Conservation ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
History Of ◽  
Cultural Heritage Objects ◽  
History Of Migration ◽  
Non Destructive

Systematic research into art and cultural heritage objects in museum collections are growing daily across the world. They are generally undertaken in partnership with archaeologists, curators, historians, conservators, and restorers. The use of scientific methods to answer specific questions about objects produced by different societies reveals the materials and technologies used in the past and gives us a better understanding of the history of migration processes, cultural characteristics, and thereby more grounded parameters for the preservation and conservation of cultural heritage. The use of non-destructive methods, such as the PIXE analysis, is very suitable in such studies because damage or alteration is avoided and the integrity of the object maintained. Such techniques gave historians and curators at the Archaeological and Ethnology Museum in São Paulo new understanding of the Chimu collection of ceramics as well as of the technical process of preventive conservation.

scholarly journals A Heritage Science Workflow to Preserve and Narrate a Rural Archeological Landscape Using Virtual Reality: The Cerro del Castillo of Belmez and Its Surrounding Environment (Cordoba, Spain)

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 8659
Author(s):  
Antonio Monterroso-Checa ◽  
Alberto Redondo-Villa ◽  
Massimo Gasparini ◽  
Alberto Hornero ◽  
Bernardo Iraci ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Natural Landscape ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Heritage Site ◽  
Heritage Science ◽  
Integrated Recovery ◽  
Google Play ◽  
Innovative Action ◽  
Geomorphological Features

The main aim of this article is to present a heritage action protocol based on the application of photogrammetric and LiDAR acquisitions, a catalogue of flora and fauna, archeological research, and 3D virtualization for the integrated recovery of a rural cultural heritage site located in the Alto Guadiato Valley of Cordoba, Spain. This joint multidisciplinary action focusing on a common heritage objective has resulted in a comprehensive and innovative action: the virtualization of an 800-hectare multitemporal archeological landscape. The results may be of interest to researchers, educators, and tourism agents, or for the dissemination of scientific knowledge, among other applications. The protocol of actions implemented in the framework of this project can be replicated in sites with similar characteristics, particularly rural areas with well-preserved landscapes that have not been investigated. The main result of the project is the preservation of geomorphological features using remote sensing technologies and the creation of a virtual lookout for this historical and natural landscape (GuadiatVR), which is a very uncommon outcome within the virtualization of historical landscapes. The lookout can be downloaded from Google Play on IOS.

scholarly journals Designing Student Apartments With Green Building Concept on Ismail Harun Street

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-86
Author(s):  
Dwira Nirfalini Aulia ◽  
Nida Andini Putri Tanjung
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Smart Growth ◽  
Environmentally Friendly ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Human Waste ◽  
Surrounding Environment ◽  
Electricity Use ◽  
Air Circulation

Apartments with green building concept are vertical dwellings that are built using the basic rules of green building namely energy efficiency and renewable energy, efficient use of air, use of environmentally friendly materials, use of waste and materials, improvement of good indoor air circulation, and sustainable development and smart growth. This concept is used as a fulfillment of housing needs for students around Universitas Negeri Medan, which is environmentally friendly. The concept of green building is expected to reduce household pollution generated from student apartments, which can reduce the quality of the surrounding environment and also reduce the costs of maintenance and operation of the apartment, which can have an impact on the quality of resident’s life. In the process of designing this apartment, the writer uses a quantitative-correlative approach to find what is needed by the apartment user. The process of designing an apartment with this concept will produce an environmentally friendly building that can save water use up to 53.28%. This student apartment is equipped with a solar power plant that can save PLN electricity use by up to 33%. Each apartment unit and room in the management office is also designed with natural light and natural air circulation in mind to reduce the use of electricity and air conditioning. This apartment also utilizes human waste by processing it into biogas using dome reactors.

scholarly journals Real-Time Wood Behaviour: The Use of Strain Gauges for Preventive Conservation Applications

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 305
Author(s):  
Willemien Anaf ◽  
Ana Cabal ◽  
Mie Robbe ◽  
Olivier Schalm
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Wood Surface ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Strain Gauges ◽  
Data Logger ◽  
Preventive Conservation ◽  
Varnish Layer ◽  
Preservation Conditions ◽  
Wood Surfaces ◽  
Heritage Collections

Within the heritage field, the application of strain gauges on wood surfaces is a little-explored but inexpensive and effective method to analyse the environmental appropriateness of rooms for the wooden heritage collections they contain. This contribution proposes a wood sensor connected to a data logger to identify short moments with an elevated risk of harm. Two experiments were performed to obtain insights pertaining to the applicability of wood sensors to evaluate preservation conditions. (1) The representativeness of strain gauges on dummies was tested for their use in evaluating the preservation conditions of a range of wooden objects exposed to the same environment. For this, three situations were mimicked: a bare wood surface, a wood surface covered with a preparation layer, and a wood surface covered with a preparation and varnish layer. (2) The usability of strain gauges to monitor the wood behaviour in real-time measurements was tested with a monitoring campaign of almost two years in a church where a new heating system was installed. The results of both experiments are promising, and the authors encourage a broader application of strain gauges in the heritage field.

scholarly journals Mind the gap: rigour and relevance in collaborative heritage science research

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Dillon ◽  
Nancy Bell ◽  
Kalliopi Fouseki ◽  
Pip Laurenson ◽  
Andrew Thompson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Science Research ◽  
Heritage Science

scholarly journals Visually low-impacting methods for the measurement of parameters related to IAQ risk indicators in exhibition halls

2021 ◽  
Vol 312 ◽  
pp. 12008
Author(s):  
Laura Cirrincione ◽  
Patrizia Ferrante ◽  
Maria La Gennusa ◽  
Giorgia Peri ◽  
Gianfranco Rizzo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Degradation Process ◽  
Atmospheric Pollutants ◽  
Risk Indicators ◽  
Test Application ◽  
Indirect Evaluation ◽  
Visual Impact ◽  
Visual Impacts ◽  
Non Destructive ◽  
Electric Supply

Microclimate for cultural heritage plays a fundamental role in the degradation process of artefacts exhibited in museums. Generally, the Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) monitoring inside museums is based on conventional measurements of thermo-hygrometry parameters and longtime averaged measurements of atmospheric pollutants’ concentration. Unfortunately, all these approaches require electric supply and are usually characterized by a noticeable visual impact on the exhibition space, which clearly negatively affects the visitors’ experience. This paper intends to revisit and discuss a methodology (and its test application on field, to estimate the risk of damage of three artefacts displayed in an old museum of Palermo – Italy) perhaps prematurely underestimated that could usefully be re-proposed in particular contexts in which it is necessary to be careful to be as less invasive as possible, as in the case of museums housed in buildings of particular historical-cultural prestige. The discussed approach uses a non-destructive (or minimally invasive, at least) technique consisting in using two types of coupons, bi-metallic and marble ones, that allows an off-line monitoring of the indoor air aggressiveness inside museums, while avoiding consuming electricity and undesirable visual impacts on the site. Specifically, the estimated coupon damage is regarded as gauge to air aggressiveness, in order to provide an early warning of the risk of damage for the artefacts made of materials similar to those which the coupons are made of. Based on the considerations reported in the paper, the indirect evaluation of the air chemical aggressiveness through the assessment of the bi-metallic and marble coupons’ erosion seems to still candidates itself as a feasible method to be applied in complex exhibition scenes.

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