Search results for "biodeterioration"
showing 10 items of 38 documents
Bioaerosol
2022
Cultural heritage constitutive materials can provide excellent substrates for microbial colonisation, highly influenced by thermo-hygrometric parameters. In cultural heritage-related environments, a detrimental microbial load may be present both on artworks surface and in the aerosol. Confined environments (museums, archives, deposits, caves, hypogea) are characterised by peculiarstructures and different thermo-hygrometric conditions, influencing the development of a wide range of microbial species, able to induce artefact biodeterioration and to release biological particles in the aerosol (spores, cellular debrides, toxins, allergens) potentially dangerous for the human health (visitors/us…
Biotechnology and Conservation of Cultural Heritage
2017
Over the past few decades, biotechnology has provided innovative techniques useful for diagnosing cultural heritage deterioration induced by microbiological systems and for defining efficient conservation/restoration strategies. Seen from this per- spective, the International Congress on Molecular Biology and Cultural Heritage held in Seville (Spain) in 2003 represents a milestone. This book comes from the experience gained in the last decade of basic and applied research, developed in the Laboratory of Biology and Biotechnology for Cultural Heritage (LaBBCH), within the framework of national and international research projects and in collaboration with other Italian and foreign research in…
Bioarosol
2022
Cultural heritage constitutive materials can provide excellent substrates for microbial colonisation, highly influenced by thermo-hygrometric parameters. In cultural heritage-related environments, a detrimental microbial load may be present both on artworks surface and in the aerosol. Confined environments (museums, archives, deposits, caves, hypogea) are characterised by peculiar structures and different thermo-hygrometric conditions, influencing the development of a wide range of microbial species, able to induce artefact biodeterioration and to release biological particles in the aerosol (spores, cellular debrides, toxins, allergens) potentially dangerous for the human health (visitors/u…
Plant products as biocides for conservation of cultural asset sustainable for human and environmental health
2022
In the last decades plants products are increasingly used also in defining innovative procedures for sustainable conservation of cultural heritage. Particularly, essential oils or hydro-alcoholic extracts have been fruitful applied to contrast microbial colonization on organic and inorganic artworks or insect infestation (Anobidae) having regard to the repellent action.
 In this paper, extracts from Asteraceae and Lamiaceae plant families are utilized to counteract widespread microbial colonization (bacteria, cyanobacteria, fungi) due to their antimicrobial activity. In order to define the adequate concentration correlating it to microbial species detected, the antimicrobial activity o…
Anthropomorphic wooden reliquaries an integrated approach to restoration
2015
Two wood anthropomorphic reliquaries, belonging to Lipsanoteca of Epiphany Church, Trapani (Italy), were restored following procedures based on an interdisciplinary approach. The historic-artistic contextualization, constitutive materials and executive techniques were defined. Degradation events were correlated to physical-chemical factors, with particular attention to biodeteriogens. Insect infestation was revealed, by optical (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of rosume and insect body remains, Anobium punctatum was identified. Microbial colonization was revealed and characterized by an integrated approach based on OM (Lugol’s staining), in vitro culture and molecular investigati…
ANTHROPOMORPHIC WOODEN RELIQUARIES FROM KNOWLEDGE TO RESTORATIOI{
2014
Two wood anthropomorphic reliquaries, belonging to the Lipsanoteca of Epiphany Church in Trapani (Ita1y) were restored following the consewative restoration procedures based on an interdisciplinary approach. The hystoric-artistic contextualization, the constitutive rnaterials and executive techniques were defined and physical-chemical-biological factors involved in degradation events were evaluated. The Saints relic (human bone or teeth), present in each reliquary were analysed through visual investigation. After restoration, the manufacts showed their peculiarities and their extraordinary cultural value.
FRESHWATER CYANOBACTERIA, IDENTIFIED BY MICROSCOPIC AND MOLECULAR INVESTIGATIONS ON A COLONIZED FOUNTAIN SURFACE: A CASE STUDY IN PALERMO (SICILY, IT…
2021
Cyanobacteria or blue algae are ubiquitously present in both fresh and brackish water environments. They also grow in conditions of high humidity, colonizing stones or monuments and fountain surfaces, and creating thick biofilms able to induce biodeterioration in the constituent materials of artefacts. As well as several photoautotrophic organisms, cyanobacteria belong to the microorganisms identified as primary colonizers, playing an important role in stone artwork deterioration. In this study, an analysis was made of the biofilm collected from the stone fountain of the Two Dragons in Palermo (Italy), revealing the presence of cyanobacterial colonies by optical microscopy, due to their pec…
Bacteria consortia and deterioration of archaeological waterlogged wood: identification by molecular and microscopy techniques
2014
In this study molecular tools are applied to reveal and identify bacterial colonization in waterlogged wood to assessing the changes induced in anatomical structure, previously observed by Optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy (1). The results obtained by observation of wooden thin sections (OM), shown the presence of black and dark-brown areas and mineral concretions. The SEM analysis revealed a specific cell walls alteration, attributable to bacterial activity, other than abundant pyrite framboids (FeS2). The presence of sulfur compounds in archaeological waterlogged wood can indicate both long-term burial in anoxic environment and colonization by sulfate-reducing bacteria. Molecular m…
Cool barnacles: Do common biogenic structures enhance or retard rates of deterioration of intertidal rocks and concrete?
2017
Sedentary and mobile organisms grow profusely on hard substrates within the coastal zone and contribute to the deterioration of coastal engineering structures and the geomorphic evolution of rocky shores by both enhancing and retarding weathering and erosion. There is a lack of quantitative evidence for the direction and magnitude of these effects. This study assesses the influence of globally-abundant intertidal organisms, barnacles, by measuring the response of limestone, granite and marine-grade concrete colonised with varying percentage covers of Chthamalus spp. under simulated, temperate intertidal conditions. Temperature regimes at 5 and 10 mm below the surface of each material demons…
ANTHROPOMORPHIC WOODEN RELIQUARIES FROM KNOWLEDGE TO RESTORATION
2014
Two wood anthropomorphic reliquaries, belonging to the Lipsanoteca of Epiphany Church in Trapani (Italy) were restored following the consevative restoration procedures based on an interdisciplinary approach. The hystoric-artistic contextualization, the constitutive materials and executive techniques were defined and physical-chemical-biological factors involved in degradation events were evaluated. The Saints relic (human bone or teeth), present in each reliquary were analysed through visual investigation. After restoration, the manufacts showed their peculiarities and their extraordinary cultural value.