Consultancy Agency and Workshop for Preservation, Conservation and Restoration of Books,
Archival Materials and Graphic Arts. Preservation Management for Libraries and Archives.
Diploma HICOREB. Accredited Conservator Restorer. Member of the Institute of Paper Conservation.
Deterioration
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Biological agents. Biological agents as microorganisms and insects are responsible for recycling most of all natural occurring materials, products and objects. In their enthusiasm they also destroy without distinction the objects we value as unique and worth keeping, being it for their cultural and historical context, financial value or the information they contain.
We cannot imagine a world without microorganisms. They are everywhere around us and even in us. They float in the air, influenced by climatologic conditions, and drift form outside to the interior. When they deposit themselves on what they consider a good breeding-ground, they start to develop. By this they initiate a process of deterioration and prepare the substrate for the arrival of other biological agents such as insects. Microorganisms produce physical damage by growing
on and in the material, causing alterations in structure and outlook.
A visible formation of fungus, per example, has its largest part
in the substrate itself. Removing it results often in a local
brittleness and even holes. Fungi also produce chemical changes
by excretions of acid with acidification as result, and pigments,
which cause discoloration. The growth and reproduction of microorganisms is being influenced by several factors, which can differ form species to species. So will certain microorganisms thrive better at a certain RH and T, while others prefer different conditions. The most important factors involved are:
The total amount of insect species is being estimated at 3.5 million, of which only 1/5 has been classified and described. An educated guess estimates the total weight of insects in the world to equal the total weight of humans on earth. Fortunately for us only few are immediately damaging to library and archive materials. Most damaging insects are cellulose and carbohydrates eating insects. Well-known examples are the bookworm (Anobium punctatum), the silverfish (Lepisma saccharina), some cockroaches and beetles Certain conditions have to be fulfilled for insects to thrive. They are:
Rodents are damaging to library and archive materials. They use them to make nests for their offspring, hereby physically damaging objects and introducing biological residues which can provide ideal breeding conditions for biological agents |
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