Indoor air quality at the Correr Museum, Venice

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2021

Indoor air quality in buildings is strongly affected by chemical, physical, and biological agents. Long exposure to inadequate indoor air quality can be very dangerous for the building occupants and can lead to chronic diseases associated with the sick building syndrome (SBS). In this paper, the large presence of biological pollutants in the indoor rooms of an old building and its strict relationship with the outdoor/indoor air conditions were investigated studying Coronini Cronberg Palace Foundation, a historic house museum of the sixteenth century in Gorizia (Italy), where biological contamination affecting the artworks can soon become potentially harmful also for operators and visitors. Detailed aerobiological and microbiological analyses on organic natural materials, combined with a microclimate monitoring, were conducted to evaluate the influence of temperature and relative humidity levels within the Palace in the conspicuous growth and diffusion of microorganisms. Fungal and bacterial colonies damaging materials, mainly affected by the sudden fluctuations of hygrothermal values, were found to widely exceed Italian and international recommended levels for good air quality for both artworks and human beings. Understand their impact on human health would be strictly necessary to reduce biological risks for museum staff and cultural heritage users, but consequently to improve indoor air quality.

Applied Sciences

The assessment of indoor air quality (IAQ) in museums is a complex issue. In this study, a comprehensive investigation methodology was defined and applied to a museum to be validated. This methodology includes the analysis of exposed objects, the optimal conditions for conservation, the building features and the HVAC systems, and the indoor thermo-hygrometric and air quality conditions. In 2019, a survey in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence, one of the most important museums in the world, was carried out to assess the IAQ conditions in the museum, and the workers and visitors’ well-being, by focusing on some representative rooms (nine) of the museum complex in terms of visitor turnout and HVAC systems, including rooms closed to the public. Since IAQ is related to the possible presence and concentration of chemical and biological pollutants, these indicators, as well as thermo-hygrometric parameters, were monitored. The monitoring results were analyzed, evaluated, and compared with thos...

2012

The state of works of art exhibited inside museums can be strongly influenced by indoor air quality, due to chemical activity of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter. For that reason it is important to carry out periodic air quality controls to check if the concentration levels of air pollutants comply with the limits specified by the national laws. In this work we show results obtained in a monitoring campaign carried out at the Museum of Capodimonte in Naples, one of the most important museums in Southern Italy. Results concern indoor monitoring of inorganic and organic gaseous pollutants and PM 10 and PM 2.5 fractions; moreover we also present the comparison between indoor and outdoor particulate matter concentration. From this analysis emerged a satisfying indoor condition with respect to gaseous pollutants, without any limit exceedance; in contrast particulate matter exhibits high concentration levels with frequent exceedances. Comparison with outdoor concentrations demonstrates the influence of dust and organic matter transported from the park surrounding the museum due to wind and visitors stamping.

Atmosphere, 2021

Poor air quality inside museums is one of the main causes influencing the state of conservation of exhibits. Even if they are mostly placed in a controlled environment because of their construction materials, the exhibits can be very vulnerable to the influence of the internal micro-climate. As a consequence, museum exhibits must be protected from potential negative effects. In order to prevent and stop the process of damage of the exhibits, monitoring the main parameters of the microclimate (especially temperature, humidity, and brightness) and keeping them in strict values is extremely important. The present study refers to the investigations and analysis of air quality inside a museum, located in a heritage building, from Romania. The paper focuses on monitoring and analysing temperature of air and walls, relative humidity (RH), CO2, brightness and particulate matters (PM), formaldehyde (HCHO), and total volatile organic compounds (TVOC). The monitoring was carried out in the Summer-Autumn 2020 Campaign, in two different exhibition areas (first floor and basement) and the main warehouse where the exhibits are kept and restored. The analyses aimed both at highlighting the hazard induced by the poor air quality inside the museum that the exhibits face. The results show that this environment is potentially harmful to both exposed items and people. Therefore, the number of days in which the ideal conditions in terms of temperature and RH are met are quite few, the concentration of suspended particles, formaldehyde, and total volatile organic compounds often exceed the limit allowed by the international standards in force. The results represent the basis for the development and implementation of strategies for long-term conservation of exhibits and to ensure a clean environment for employees , restorers, and visitors.

CYTEF 2018 − IX Congreso Ibérico | VII Congreso Iberoamericano de las Ciencias y Técnicas del Frío, 2018

It is recognized worldwide that indoor air quality (IAQ) conditions in museums influence the preservation of the exhibited items. Recently, international guidelines towards environmental management in the field of conservation have been revised, leading to a different perspective on ‘ideal/fixed’ hygrothermal air conditions, namely EN 15757:2010. Herein, some results of the ongoing study of the IAQ conditions in the Science Museum of the University of Coimbra (UC) are discussed, following a continuous monitoring campaign recently implemented (since January 2017). These data are compared with those of a previous study on the environmental conditions of this museum, a XVI-XVIII century heritage building with no mechanical air conditioning and ventilation (HVAC) system, which was grounded on several non-consecutive monitoring campaigns conducted over more than one-year focused on the hygrothermal air conditions of two exhibition rooms of the Museum. The obtained results reinforce the need for further investigation on the subject. HVAC might be required for proper control of the indoor conditions, e.g., for minimizing the impact of the identified risky conditions.

Journal of Cultural Heritage, 2004

Indoor and outdoor atmospheres of the 'Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten' (KMSK, Royal Museum of Fine Arts) in Antwerp, Belgium, were thoroughly characterised to determine the air quality inside the museum and the factors controlling it. During a winter and a summer campaign aerosol particles, pollutant gases, bacteria and fungi were sampled and different indoors microclimatic parameters were measured. The chemical composition of particulates suspended in indoor and outdoor air was analysed, both with reference to bulk aerosol matter and to individual particles. Outdoor sources largely determined the composition of indoor aerosol. The main particle types identified in winter were Ca-rich, Ca-Si and sea salt particles. In summer, S-rich particles were most abundant. Dry deposition was sampled in order to determine the amount of particulate matter that could potentially deposit onto the works of art. The concentrations of NO 2 and SO 2 amounted to 12 and 5-6 ppb, respectively, both in winter and in the summer. The microclimates inside the exhibition rooms were affected by poorly balanced heating and air-conditioning, free-standing humidifiers, ventilating and lighting systems and the daily flux of visitors, which produced rapid changes and marked thermo-hygrometric gradients. Based on these results, suggestions for the improvement of the heating and air-conditioning system could be made. Microbial loads were higher in summer than in winter. However, the proportion of microorganisms capable of degrading proteins or hydrolysing fats, and thus pernicious to works of art, was not significantly increased inside the museum.

2015

Indoor air quality in historical buildings and museums is receiving growing concern nowadays among the scientific community. Natural decay of many exhibited artworks is accelerated by non-controlled environmental conditions or by exposure to gaseous pollutants, airborne particles or microbes, emitted indoors or penetrating from the outdoor environment. Therefore, monitoring and controlling the indoor microclimatic conditions (temperature and relative humidity) and the levels of indoor pollution is of critical importance for the applied conservation and preservation strategies of cultural heritage. In this study, one year indoor/outdoor measurements of gaseous pollutants (NO2, SO2, O3, VOC’s, CO2, acetic and formic acids) and microbial load were conducted at the Historical museum of Crete, located in Heraklion (Greece) and at the Limassol Municipal Gallery (Limassol, Cyprus). Passive diffusive samplers and online monitors were used for gas collection in both museums. Airborne microor...

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2020

Indoor air quality in museums and historical buildings is of great concern for curators, since it can be a source of various alterations on artworks. In spite of their importance, very few studies study simultaneously the concentration of main gaseous pollutants, the composition of suspended (PM), and deposited (DPM) particulate matter. The aim of this article is to carry out a first environmental assessment in French museums or monuments. Three sites representative of contrasting environments (urban, marine, semi-rural) have been selected: the Cluny Museum (Paris), the Villa Kérylos (Beaulieu-sur-Mer), and the Château de Fontainebleau. The main results show that the input of terrigenous particles (calcite, clay) due to the surrounding restoration works dominates in Cluny; the external environment (O 3 , RH, and marine particles) influences the interior atmosphere of the Villa Kérylos and the deliquescence of the deposited salts; against all expectations, anthropogenic particles (mascagnite and soot) are largely dominant in Fontainebleau. They are emitted in winter, when the warm, pulsating air gets dirty as it passes through the old heating ducts. This research shows the importance of particle mixtures in the environmental signature of the sites. These mixtures must be taken into account in order to reproduce indoor atmospheres in simulation chambers to achieve realistic artificial aging. This study also makes it possible to target the sources of pollution on which to act.

2010

The National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome is located near the Villa Borghese Park. The storage is an underground area of the building. Different kinds of modern artworks are conserved. The study regards the environmental conditions with the aim of improving the preservation of the collection. The method used consists in short-term monitoring programs (microclimate and air quality) carried out in four rooms with different significant aspects. On the basis of climatic data of Rome geographic area, the microclimatic monitoring has been performed during the most critical period (summer to autumn). For chemical control, the total deposited particulate matter was evaluated using a prototype instrument to estimate the brilliance variation of 15 white marble samples exposed to the deposition. The soluble salts in the deposited powder layer were determined by ion chromatography. Aero-diffused microorganisms were detected by aerobiological analyses. The results have pointed out the need of improving the insulation of the masonry in one of the four rooms. Successively further environmental investigations should be planned to assess the effectiveness of the intervention on the walls and to evaluate the efficiency of HVAC system under the new, improved conditions.

Annals of the ”Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati. Fascicle II, Mathematics, Physics, Theoretical Mechanics

It is known that the conservation of cultural heritage requires that atmospheric parameters as temperature, humidity or radiation be constant and have well-defined values. Small deviations may irreversibly damage paintings, sculptures, jewels, textiles, etc. Also, air pollution (i.e. increased concentration of trace gases) may affect negatively the quality of artworks through direct and indirect corrosion effects. To our knowledge, such measurements have not been performed in local museums, for a sufficiently long time. This is the first study where we present measurements of temperature, humidity, and radiation, together with air quality measurements inside the Visual Art Museum of Galati city (45° 26′ N, 28° 2′ ″ E), Romania. The results will be used in the future for the implementation of conservation and protection measures of artworks in museums.