Poor air quality inside museums is one of the main causes influencing the state of conservation of exhibits. Even if they are mostly placed in a controlled environment because of their construction materials, the exhibits can be very vulnerable to the influence of the internal microclimate. As a consequence, museum exhibits must be protected from potential negative effects. In order to prevent and stop the process of damage of the exhibits, monitoring the main parameters of the microclimate (especially temperature, humidity, and brightness) and keeping them in strict values is extremely important. The present study refers to the investigations and analysis of air quality inside a museum, located in a heritage building, from Romania. The paper focuses on monitoring and analysing temperature of air and walls, relative humidity (RH), CO2, brightness and particulate matters (PM), formaldehyde (HCHO), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). The monitoring was carried out in the Summer–Autumn 2020 Campaign, in two different exhibition areas (first floor and basement) and the main warehouse where the exhibits are kept and restored. The analyses aimed both at highlighting the hazard induced by the poor air quality inside the museum that the exhibits face. The results show that this environment is potentially harmful to both exposed items and people. Therefore, the number of days in which the ideal conditions in terms of temperature and RH are met are quite few, the concentration of suspended particles, formaldehyde, and total volatile organic compounds often exceed the limit allowed by the international standards in force. The results represent the basis for the development and implementation of strategies for long-term conservation of exhibits and to ensure a clean environment for employees, restorers, and visitors.
Old textiles are important elements of thecultural heritage. As a result of their composition mostly of natural elements old textiles are extremely prone to physical and chemical degradation due to fungal action. The treatments usually applied for the cleaning of heritage textiles target the use of synthetic fungicides, which are potentially harmful to both human health and the environment. Numerous studies highlight as an alternative to the use of conventional antifungals, the employment of essential oils and plant extracts, which are environmentally friendly and which have no adverse effects on human health. Against this background the present study aims to test six essential oils (Lavandula angustifolia, Citrus limon, Mentha piperita, Marjoram, Melaleuca alternifolia, Origanum vulgare) to establish their inhibitory effects against fungi identified on an old piece of traditional Romanian clothing from Maramureş. For the study, the types of fungi present on the objects was determined primarily through the open plates technique and microscopic identification. After identification, the essential oils were applied to the delimited surfaces, and their effects observed up to 32 days after application. The results show that these essential oils have a strong inhibitory effect on such fungal genera as Penicillinum sp., Cladosporium sp., Aspergillus spp., Candida guillermondii, Botrys sp., Mucor sp., having no observable side-effects on the physical properties of the materials concerned. The antimicrobial effects that essential oils and plant extracts have in the short term must be tested in future to ensure the enhanced preservation of heritage textiles and the health integrity of the restorers and visitors who view them in museums, collections or exhibitions.
This study is an attempt to monitor the indoor microclimate and the microbiological contamination of some indoor objects inside a wooden Orthodox church. Standard microbiological techniques were used for the isolation and identification of the fungi present in the dust of the superficial surface of the paintings chosen to be investigated for biodeterioration. Samples were taken from approximately 1 cm 2 of the surface of the analysed paintings (cotton canvas, wood, on primer) using the cotton swab method. The cultures of fungus isolated from the studied paintings were identified based on their morphological and microbiological characteristics. The identity of isolates was established, based on the smear microscopic examination, using the lactophenol blue cotton staining procedure. Based on the morphological characteristics of conidiophores, the following fungal genera were determined to be present in the dust of the studied paintings: Streptomyces sp., Arthrographis sp., Beauveria sp., Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp., Alternaria sp., Cladosporium sp., and Streptomyces sp. The current state of paintings, influenced in time by temperature, humidity, brightness, microbial contamination, and other factors, was investigated and mapped. The detailed analysis contributes to the conservation stage of the historic monument investigation, enhancing the existing data in the environments destined for the conservation of valuable objects. The continuous monitoring of the indoor microclimate, together with the maintaining of good hygiene, cleaning conditions and proper ventilation, could successfully contribute to the slowing down of painting degradation within the wooden church monument.
Monitoring the indoor microclimate in old buildings of cultural heritage and significance is a practice of great importance because of the importance of their identity for local communities and national consciousness. Most aged heritage buildings, especially those made of wood, develop an indoor microclimate conducive to the development of microorganisms. This study aims to analyze one wooden church dating back to the 1710s in Romania from the microclimatic perspective, i.e., temperature and relative humidity and the fungal load of the air and surfaces. One further aim was to determine if the internal microclimate of the monument is favorable for the health of parishioners and visitors, as well as for the integrity of the church itself. The research methodology involved monitoring of the microclimate for a period of nine weeks (November 2020–January 2021) and evaluating the fungal load in indoor air as well as on the surfaces. The results show a very high contamination of air and surfaces (>2000 CFU/m3). In terms of fungal contamination, Aspergillus spp. (two different species), Alternaria spp., Cladosporium spp., Mucor spp., Penicillium spp. (two different species) and Trichopyton spp. were the genera of fungi identified in the indoor wooden church air and Aspergillus spp., Cladosporium spp., Penicillium spp. (two different species) and Botrytis spp. on the surfaces (church walls and iconostasis). The results obtained reveal that the internal microclimate not only imposes a potential risk factor for the parishioners and visitors, but also for the preservation of the wooden church as a historical monument, which is facing a crisis of biodeterioration of its artwork.
The map and temporal scale of the territory known as 'The Land of Maramureș' outlines a real heritage treasure, built in historical time and formed of 74 wooden churches. Varying in terms of architecture, dimensions and cult, the wooden churches are indeed heritage objects, 33 of them being on the list of historical monuments in Romania, while 5 are included in the UNESCO world heritage list. An impressive database, which includes the edifices built during 1531-2015 period, is processed, analyzed, synthesized and mapped in this project. By using cartographic methods and specific programs (ArcGis, CorelDRAW), suggestive pictograms are generated, expressing relevant elements for the proposed purpose: spatiality, a series of technical details (height, architectural style, etc.), monument type and oldness. Such a complex material is useful in the process of territorial planning and organization from the point of view of those concerned with issues of urban development and tourism as well as for the general public as well.ARTICLE HISTORY
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