Ricerc@Sapienza

Bio-deterioration poses a serious risk in the preservation of ancient parchments. The deteriorating effects of microorganism can affect the surface layers of a membrane sheet causing the total loss of the written text and/or the decorative apparatus of which it is the vehicle. In this work the use of the X-ray radiation performed by an experimental setup, designed at ENEA Frascati, is proposed to inhibit the microbial growth.

Microorganisms often cause significant damage on historical objects. The archive or library materials as well as textile or leather artifacts suffer serious attacks that need appropriate care treatments. Several biocide processes have been implemented but often their application does not preserve the material of the good. The objective of this work is the disinfection through ionizing radiation of leather wallpaper from the museum building Palazzo Chigi in Ariccia (Rome, Italy).