One aspect of heritage science is to examine and, if possible, reduce the chemical and physical interactions between the restoration products and artworks’ constituent materials. This research aims to identify an alternative process to minimize the impact on materials and health risk for users when hypochlorite is used as biocide on stone materials. In this study, we tested a hydrogel comprised of sodium alginate as an inert matrix and hypochlorite ions as biocide agents for the removal of biological patinas from calcarenite Lecce samples. These biofilms resulted formed mainly by filamentous cyanobacteria and green microalgae. We carried out 1H-NMR T2 relaxation measurements to check the hydrogel's cleaning efficacy on artificially bio-deteriorated samples through a portable NMR equipment. Simultaneously, optical microscopy and colorimetric measurements allowed the establishment of color differences induced by treatments. Our biocide hydrogel proved to be effective in removing microbial colonization from the surface of Lecce stone specimens and from a section of an altar rail in the rupestrian Church of San Pietro Barisano, located in the Sassi of Matera.
Alginate-biocide hydrogel for the removal of biofilms from calcareous stone artworks
Germani R.;
2021
Abstract
One aspect of heritage science is to examine and, if possible, reduce the chemical and physical interactions between the restoration products and artworks’ constituent materials. This research aims to identify an alternative process to minimize the impact on materials and health risk for users when hypochlorite is used as biocide on stone materials. In this study, we tested a hydrogel comprised of sodium alginate as an inert matrix and hypochlorite ions as biocide agents for the removal of biological patinas from calcarenite Lecce samples. These biofilms resulted formed mainly by filamentous cyanobacteria and green microalgae. We carried out 1H-NMR T2 relaxation measurements to check the hydrogel's cleaning efficacy on artificially bio-deteriorated samples through a portable NMR equipment. Simultaneously, optical microscopy and colorimetric measurements allowed the establishment of color differences induced by treatments. Our biocide hydrogel proved to be effective in removing microbial colonization from the surface of Lecce stone specimens and from a section of an altar rail in the rupestrian Church of San Pietro Barisano, located in the Sassi of Matera.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
