Ethylene Oxide for the Mass Deacidification of Paper Relics

In order to solve the international problem of deacidification protection at scale for the whole book and archives, this paper designs the equipment and technology of bulk deacidification treatment with ethylene oxide gas phase. the procedure is simple and the investment is small. In this process, a mixture of ethylene oxide and argon gas is added with the aid of medium vacuum, and the large-scale deacidification of acidification books and archives can be realized by controlling temperature and humidity. This technology does not need to screen acidic and alkaline paper. After the overall treatment, the paper pH value remains at 7.0 to 9.5, which has no effect on handwriting, no discoloration, and has a certain strengthening effect on the paper. The accelerated aging test shows that the pH value remains stable after deacidification and the durability is enhanced. It is a new deacidification technology of paper cultural relics with high efficiency, safety, good compatibility and scale.

ETHYLENE OXIDE AS A STERILIZING AGENT: GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS, TOXICITY AND COMPARISON WITH OTHERS SANEANTES AND STERILIZATION METHODS

Ethylene oxide gas is highly toxic, highly flammable and explosive. It is also carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic and neurotoxic. However, it is an excellent sterilant especially when applied to thermally sensitive medical and hospital materials. The present study aimed to carry out a literature review on ethylene oxide emphasizing its general characteristics, toxicity and comparison with other methods of sterilization. This is a narrative review, in which the retrieval of studies occurred in the databases Lilacs, Scielo, PubMed, Science Direct, Periódicos Capes and Theses Banks and dissertations of the public universities. A total of 126 studies were retrieved, and only 43 were used for the construction of this work. Ethylene oxide is characterized as an excellent physicochemical method, easy to diffuse and efficient against all microorganisms, provided it is correctly used. Compared with other sterilization methods such as autoclaving, PPH and VBTF, ethylene oxide proved to be more efficient, depending on the type of material submitted to the sterilization process. However, due to its capacity to contribute to the development of cancer, mainly the lymphohematopoietic system, its disuse and displeasure by health professionals, health services and companies has become frequent.