Microbiological Contamination of Movable Cultural Property: Yugoslovian Examples
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English German |
| ISBN: | ISBN 3-8062-1925-7 |
| Online Access: | http://www.viks.sk/chk/schimmel158_167.doc |
| Abstract: | SUMMARIES. Due to serious economic problems, museums in Yugoslavia are not in a position to use prevention conservation measures to treat and control the development of pathogenic microbiological infestations in their collections. In particular, establishing appropriate climatic conditions in display areas, storerooms and storage vaults. In most cases formaldehyde has been used as the most appropriate disinfectant in the decontamination treatments. International help including the sharing of experience and knowledge is urgently required. CONCLUSION. Yugoslavia's last ten years have been marked by economical and cultural sanctions and isolation, which caused great poverty and destitution, stagnation and regression of the complete museology. Mainly the safekeeping conditions of the cultural heritage have drastically been minimized. The impossibility to undertake the necessary refurbishment of museum buildings is a direct consequence of the economic crisis. That is why in the greatest number of Yugoslavian museums the adequate environment for the safekeeping of cultural heritage is drastically disturbed. Another consequence is the appearance of microbiological infection on cultural property kept in a number of museum buildings, libraries, archives etc. The example of the National Museum is another proof that environmental conditions in museum buildings can easily be disturbed and that the inevitable consequence is the emerging of pathogenic microorganisms on museum objects. The microbiological infection attacked various kinds of archaeological materials, inorganic as well as organic: ceramics, stone, frescoes and stucco, glass, bronze and iron objects, bone. We identified mass emergence of the following fungi; Penicillium sp., Aspergillus sp., Althernaria sp., Aspergillus fumigatus, Mucor sp., Aspergillus niger, Cephalosporium sp., Geotrichum candidum, Candida sp. In order to reduce the number of active microorganisms, the disinfection of the contaminated space, the archaeological objects and the surrounding areas was undertaken. Formolisation was applied and Formaldehyde was chosen as the most appropriate disinfectant. The only method for rooting out permanent sources for the contamination through microorganisms is to systematically apply preventive protection. It should be done by: 1. passive conservation, i.e. by keeping objects in appropriate environmental conditions to eliminate harmful effects of exterior agents (humidity, temperature, light, air pollution, etc.) 2. active conservation, i.e. by applying appropriate conservation treatments to make archaeological objects resistant to destruction caused by interior and exterior agents. |
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| ISBN: | ISBN 3-8062-1925-7 |
