An environmental assessment of biodeterioration in document repositories

• Published in: Biofouling (Chur, Switzerland) Vol. 30; no. 5; pp. 561 - 569
• Main Authors: Lavin, P., Gómez de Saravia, S.G., Guiamet, P.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 2014
• Subjects: Air Microbiology; Archives; Bacillus - genetics; Bacillus - isolation & purification; Bacillus - physiology; Bacterial Adhesion; bioadhesion; Biofilms; Biofouling; Collection; Colony Count, Microbial; documentary heritage; Ecological risk assessment; environmental air quality; Environmental assessment; Environmental Monitoring; foxing; Fungi; Microorganisms; micropitting; Repositories; Risk assessment; Scopulariopsis - genetics; Scopulariopsis - isolation & purification; Scopulariopsis - physiology; environmental air quality; foxing; bioadhesion; documentary heritage; microorganisms; micropitting
• ISSN: 0892-7014; 1029-2454
• DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2014.897334

Experiments were designed (1) to investigate the bioadhesion, biofilm formation, foxing, and micropitting in documentary collections, (2) to assess the risk of biodeterioration, (3) to investigate the environmental microbial concentration, and (4) to study the influence of environmental factors in biodeterioration of documentary heritage in three archives. The importance of this work in the field of biodeterioration of documentary heritage was verified by bioadhesion and biofilm formation by microorganisms isolated from the collections under study. Bacillus sp. and Scopulariopsis sp. isolated from paper books showed considerable evidence of attacking the paper structure and of pigment production, constituting a hazard to the loss of documentary heritage.