Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2019) 134: 255
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2019-12671-5

Regular Article

Dust deposition on textile and its evolution in indoor cultural heritage

Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques, UMR CNRS 7583, Université Paris Est Créteil et Université Paris Diderot, Institut Pierre Simon Laplace, 61, avenue du Général de Gaulle, 94010, Créteil Cedex, France

^* e-mail: Pauline.Uring@lisa.u-pec.fr

Received: 19 June 2018
Accepted: 2 April 2019
Published online: 7 June 2019

Abstract

Dust deposition in museums and historic monuments is a preservation concern, especially for textiles whose cleaning is delicate. To study the impact of deposited particulate matter (DPM) and gaseous pollutants on textiles, three sites with contrasted environments were selected and characterized (DPM composition, gaseous pollutants concentrations). Then, these conditions were reproduced in an environmental chamber to alter samples of silk first by the deposition of realistic layers of dust (based on the data acquired on-site), then by artificial ageing with harmful gaseous pollutants ( CO₂, SO₂, O₃ . This study presents the results of this new protocol to investigate the degradation of textile artefacts and more specifically the evolution of deposited particles as they interact with the atmosphere and the substrate. Even at relatively low concentration levels of the selected pollutants, some fine particles undergo chemical transformations, forming much larger efflorescences and penetrating inbetween fibres. This could make the vacuum-cleaning of such particles harmful to the integrity of the textile, their removal leading to fibre weakening. However, no sign of structural deterioration of the fibres at a molecular level was detected.