Abstract
The removal of sulphate-based crusts from stone artworks using sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB) has been proven to be an effective cleaning procedure. However, some concerns still remain: it is a time-consuming process when the crust is thick, and it is not clear how the biotechnological approach can fit within a complex conservation treatment. To address these challenges, the effects of an SRB strain (Desulfovibrio vulgaris subsp. vulgaris ATCC 29579) coupled with a non-ionic detergent pre-treatment was studied on a stone column affected by black crusts. The coupling of the two treatments removed the black crust without affecting the original sound marble, with 38% reduction in cleaning time. The combined method was later applied to a one-century-old artistic marble statue weathered by sulphate-based crusts and grey deposits. The detergent used alone effectively removed the grey deposit, but not the black crust. However the co-treatment synergy resulted in the complete removal of the black crust layers, with the added advantages, compared to the biocleaning alone, of fewer biological applications and a 70% reduction in total cleaning time, but still retaining all the advantages of the biocleaning approach.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 294-304 |
Number of pages | 11 |
Journal | International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation |
Volume | 85 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Nov 2013 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Artistic stone
- Biocleaning
- Black crusts
- Grey deposit
- Sulphate-reducing bacteria
- Synergic cleaning
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Microbiology
- Biomaterials
- Waste Management and Disposal