Data di Pubblicazione:
2014
Citazione:
THE TWO SIDES OF MICROORGANISMS IN CULTURAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION / F. Troiano ; supervisor: F. Cappitelli ; Coordinator: D. Daffonchio. DIPARTIMENTO DI SCIENZE PER GLI ALIMENTI, LA NUTRIZIONE E L'AMBIENTE, 2014 Jan 27. 26. ciclo, Anno Accademico 2013. [10.13130/troiano-federica_phd2014-01-27].
Abstract:
Biodeterioration is any irreversible change in the properties of a material caused by the activity of organisms belonging to different systematic groups. Microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, yeasts, algae and lichens) are considered one of the most important biodeteriogens, thanks to their ability to colonise the surface of both organic and inorganic artworks. Cultural heritage biodeterioration commonly results from the complex interaction established by different kind of microorganisms co-existing simultaneously and the substrate. But then, microorganisms can also be considered biological agents rich in virtues; in fact, they can be used for the conservation of stone works of art. The potential of microorganisms for effective bioremediation of deteriorated cultural heritage materials is gradually being unveiled, and promising results of this methodology have been obtained in field sites. As a consequence, it should not come as a surprise that conservators are forever asking microbiologists how advances in biotechnologies could contribute to the conservation of heritage.
The aim of this work was to investigate the two sides of microorganisms in the cultural heritage conservation, starting from some case-studies. In particular the objectives were to:
characterise the microbial communities on parchment manuscripts together with the study of the microbial airborne communities and the environmental physical conditions in close proximity to where the manuscripts are stored, suggesting some general guidelines for the correct management of historical documents;
reduce the biological treatment time and assess the effects of a chemical and sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) co-treatment for the bioremoval of black crusts and grey deposits on a marble statue;
broaden the fields of application of biocleaning technologies on stone conservation, proposing a valid alternative to the traditional cleaning methodologies for the bioremoval of synthetic polymers from stone monuments.
The first step to assess the microbiological risk of a cultural heritage object is to identify the entire microbial community colonising art objects, using non-invasive sampling, or sampling that needs only small amounts of material. Most of the literature dealing with microbial spoilage on documents use invasive sampling methods and culture approaches for the identification of the species causing spoilage. However, traditional culture methods can be time-consuming, do not always succeed in isolating microbial agents, and do not necessarily provide exhaustive information on the real microbial community load because only a small fraction of the microorganisms can be cultivated. In addition, aerobiological investigations of conservation environments are also helpful in choosing interventions aimed at establishing the sources of contamination and preventing the microbiological deterioration of artworks. During the last decade, in fact, the environmental conditions of the museum exhibition facilities and storage areas have been shown to be the most crucial factor, concerning the preservation of collections and artifacts.
Until now few microbiological studies have been conducted on parchment. Chapter 3 reports the evaluation of the microbial risk for the conservation of seven 16th century manuscripts written on finely illuminated parchment. The aims of the work were: (a) to clarify any relationship between the presence of an active microbial community and discolouration, (b) to study microbial air quality and environmental conditions in the repository, and (c) to investigate the relationship between airborne and surface-associated microbial communities. For the first time, the microbial community on historical parchment has been investigated by both non-inva
Tipologia IRIS:
Tesi di dottorato
Elenco autori:
F. Troiano
Link alla scheda completa:
Link al Full Text: