No. 22 (2017): Revista Conserva
Estudio de caso

Study of the Fungal Load Inside the National Archive. Evaluation of the Potential Risk in the Conservation of Collections and in the Health of Workers

PDF (Spanish)
  • Catalina Zúñiga Taulis,
  • Cecilia Rodríguez Moreno,
  • Fernanda Espinosa Ipinza
Catalina Zúñiga Taulis
Dr. en Ciencias mención Microbiología, Universidad de Chile. Chile.
Cecilia Rodríguez Moreno
Centro Nacional de Conservación y Restauración, Laboratorio de Papel y Libros. Chile
Fernanda Espinosa Ipinza
Centro Nacional de Conservación y Restauración, Laboratorio de Análisis. Chile

Published 2025-12-11

Keywords

  • fungal load,
  • biodeterioration,
  • aeromicrobiology,
  • health

Copyright (c) 2017 Catalina Zúñiga Taulis, Cecilia Rodríguez Moreno, Fernanda Espinosa Ipinza (Autor/a)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Study of the Fungal Load Inside the National Archive. Evaluation of the Potential Risk in the Conservation of Collections and in the Health of Workers. (2025). Revista Conserva, 22, 85-102. https://doi.org/10.70721/rc.n22.2017.36

Abstract

The microbial load in the air of confined areas can be a risk of contamination to objects and workers.  In this work, along with the usual parameters registered, such as relative humidity and temperature, the environmental fungal load in different storage units of the National Archive (Chile) was also included.  Using a microbial airsampler MAS-100 Eco®, the cultivable fungal fraction was determined in two intensive samplings (winter/spring).  Higher fungal concentrations were observed in spring in relation to winter, classified into low, medium, and high levels, according to the standards set by the Commission of the European Communities (CEC 1993).  In addition, fungal genera usually documented in museums, exhibitions, and storage rooms, which might be pathogenic to humans, were identified. 

PDF (Spanish)

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Adams, R., Miletto, M., Taylor, J. y Bruns, T. 2013. Dispersal in microbes: fungi in indoor air are dominated by outdoor air and show dispersal limitation at short distances. The ISME journal, 7: 1262-1273. DOI: 10.1038/ismej.2013.28.
  2. Apetrei, I., Draganescu, G. y Popescu, I. 2009. Possible cause of allergy for the librarians: books manipulation and ventilation as sources of fungus spores spreading. Aerobiologia, 25(3): 159–166. DOI: 10.1007/s10453-009-9121-y.
  3. Borrego, S., Guiamet, P., Gómez De Saravia, S., Batistini, P., Garcia, M., Lavin, P. y Perdomo, I. 2010. The quality of air at archives and biodeterioration of photographs. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 64(2): 139-145. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2009.12.005.
  4. Bush, R., Portnoy, J., Saxon, A., Terr, A. y Wood, R. 2006. The medical effects of mold exposure. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 117(2): 326-333. Disponible en: https://www.aaaai.org/Aaaai/media/MediaLibrary/PDF%20Documents/Practice%20and%20Parameters/Mold-2006.pdf
  5. Camuffo, D. 2014 [1998]. Microclimate for Cultural Heritage (2ª ed.). Amsterdam, Holanda: Elsevier.
  6. Cappitelli, F., Fermo, P., Vecchi, R., Piazzalunga, A., Valli, G., Zanardini, E. y Sorlini, C. 2009. Chemical-physical and microbiological measurements for indoor air quality assessment at the Ca´Granda Historical Archive, Milan (Italy). Water, Air & Soil Pollution, 201(1): 109-120. DOI: 10.1007/s11270-008-9931-5.
  7. Choi, S. 2007. Foxing on paper: a literature review. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 46(2): 137-152. DOI: 10.1179/019713607806112378.
  8. Commission of the European Communities (CEC). 1993. Report No. 12: Biological Particles in Indoor Environment (EUR 14988 EN). European collaborative action “Indoor Air Quality and its impact on Man” (formerly COST Project 613). Luxemburgo: CEC. Disponible en: https://bookshop.europa.eu/en/european-collaborative-action-indoor-air-quality-and-its-impact-on-man-formerly-cost-project-613--pbCLNA14988/
  9. De la Rosa, M.C., Mosso, M.A. y Ullán, C. 2002. El aire: hábitat y medio de transmisión de microorganismos. Observatorio Medioambiental, 5: 375-402. Disponible en: http://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/OBMD/article/view/OBMD0202110375A/21767
  10. Florian, M. 2002. Fungal Facts. Solving Fungal Problems in Heritage Collections. Londres, Reino Unido: Archetype.
  11. Gallo, F., O'Leary, S. y Quaix, A. 1985. Biological Factors in Deterioration of Paper. Serie Technical Notes. Roma, Italia: ICCROM.
  12. Giraldo-Castrillón, M., Torres-Gonzales, C. y Díaz-Ortiz, J. 2009. Aislamiento de hongos celulolíticos causantes del biodeterioro de la Biblioteca Central de la Universidad del Valle (Cali-Colombia). Revista Mexicana de Micología, 29: 9-14. Disponible en: http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0187-31802009000100003
  13. Hirst, J.M. 1952. An automatic volumetric spore trap. Annals of Applied Biology, 39(2): 257-265. DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1952.tb00904.x.
  14. Hueck, H. 1965. The biodeterioration of materials as part of hylobiology. Material und Organism, 1(1): 5-34.
  15. Iccrom. 2009. Manual de gestión de riesgo de colecciones. Recuperado de: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0018/001862/186240s.pdf [15 enero 2016].
  16. Kaarakainen, P., Rintala, H., Vepsalainen, A., Hyvarinene, A., Nevalainen, A. y Meklin, T. 2009. Microbial content of house dust samples determined with qPCR. Science of the Total Environment, 407(16): 4673-4680. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.04.046.
  17. Kalwasinska, A., Burkowska, A. y Wilk, I. 2012. Microbial air contamination in indoor environment of a university library. Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, 19(1): 25-29. Disponible en: http://agro.icm.edu.pl/agro/element/bwmeta1.element.agro-c9c57b9d-bf92-4d98-a8e3-48215f964a3e
  18. Lazaridis, M., Katsivela, E., Kopanakis, I., Raisi, L. y Panagiaris, G. 2015. Indoor/outdoor particulate matter concentrations and microbial load in cultural heritage collections. Heritage Science, 3: 1-13. DOI: 10.1186/s40494-015-0063-0.
  19. Lynd, L., Weimer, P., Van Zyl, W. y Pretorius, I. 2002. Microbial cellulose utilization: fundamentals and biotechnology. Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews, 66(3): 506-577. DOI: 10.1128/MMBR.66.3.506-577.2002.
  20. Mahmood, Z.U. y Mari, H.M. 2013. Deterioration of library resources and its causes: theoretical review. International Journal of Basic and Applied Science, 1(4): 773-778. Disponible en: http://insikapub.com/Vol-01/No-04/07IJBAS(1)(4).pdf
  21. Mandrioli, P., Caneva, G. y Sabbioni, C. (eds.). 2003 [1998]. Cultural Heritage and Aerobiology. Methods and Measurement Techniques for Biodeterioration Monitoring (F. Sofri, Trad.). Dordrecht, Holanda: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
  22. Medrela-Kuder, E. 2003. Seasonal variations in the occurrence of culturable airborne fungi in outdoor and indoor air in Craców. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 52(4): 203-205. DOI: 10.1016/S0964-8305(02)00167-1.
  23. Michaelsen, A., Piñar, G., Montanari, M. y Pinzari, F. 2009. Biodeterioration and restoration of a 16th-century book using a combination of conventional and molecular techniques: a case-study. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 63(2): 161-168. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2008.08.007.
  24. Michalski, S. 2000. Guidelines for Humidity and Temperature in Canadian Archives. Technical Bulletin No. 23. Ottawa, Canadá: Canadian Conservation Institute. Recuperado de: https://www.cci-icc.gc.ca/resources-ressources/publications/downloads/technicalbulletins/eng/TB23-GuidelinesforHumidityandTemperatureforCanadianArc.pdf [07 marzo 2017].
  25. Michalski, S. 2010a. Temperatura incorrecta. Canadian Conservation Institute (ediciones en inglés y francés), ICCROM (edición en español). Recuperado de: http://www.cncr.cl/611/articles-56474_recurso_9.pdf [07 marzo 2017].
  26. Michalski, S. 2010b. Humedad relativa incorrecta. Canadian Conservation Institute (ediciones en inglés y francés), ICCROM (edición en español). Recuperado de: http://www.cncr.cl/611/articles-56474_recurso_10.pdf [07 marzo 2017].
  27. Pangallo, D., Chovanova, K., Simonovicova, A. y Ferianc, P. 2009. Investigation of microbial community isolated from indoor artworks and their environment: identification, biodegradative abilities, and DNA typing. Canadian Journal of Microbiology, 55(3): 277-287. DOI: 10.1139/w08-136.
  28. Pasquarella, C., Sansebastiano, G., Saccani, E., Ugolotti, M., Mariotti, F., Boccuni, M., Signorelli, C. et al. 2011. Proposal for an integrated approach to microbial environmental monitoring in cultural heritage: experience at the Correggio exhibition in Parma. Aerobiología, 27(3): 203-211. DOI: 10.1007/s10453-010-9189-4.
  29. Pasquarella, C., Pasquariello, G., Balocco, C., Saccani, E., Ugolotti, M., Maggi, O. y Albertini, R. 2013. An integrated approach to the preventive conservation of cultural heritage: indoor biological environmental monitoring. Actas Built Heritage 2013: Monitoring Conservation Management, pp 1149-1155. International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, Milán, Italia. Disponible en: http://www.bh2013.polimi.it/papers/bh2013_paper_246.pdf
  30. Piontelli, E. 2011. Manual de microhongos filamentosos comunes I. Claves, descripciones, imágenes y literatura. Viña del Mar, Chile: [s.e.].
  31. Reijula, K., Leino, M., Mussalo-Rauhamaa, H., Nikulin, M., Alenius, H., Mikkola, J., Elg, P. et al. 2003. IgE-mediated allergy to fungal allergens in Finland with special reference to Alternaria alternata and Cladosporium herbarum. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 91(3): 280-287. DOI: 10.1016/S1081-1206(10)63531-4.
  32. Riddell, R. 1950. Permanent stained mycological preparations obtained by slide culture. Mycologia, 42(2): 265-270. DOI: 10.2307/3755439.
  33. Sharpe, R.A., Bearman, N., Thornton, C.R., Husk, K. y Osborne, N.J. 2015. Indoor fungal diversity and asthma: a meta-analysis and systematic review of risk factors. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 135(1): 110-122. DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2014.07.002.
  34. Sterflinger, K. y Pinzari, F. 2012. The revenge of time: fungal deterioration of cultural heritage with particular reference to books, paper and parchment. Environmental Microbiology, 14(3): 559-566. DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-2920.2011.02584.x.
  35. Sterflinger, K. y Piñar, G. 2013. Microbial deterioration of cultural heritage and works of art-tilting at windmills? Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 97(22): 9637-9646. DOI: 10.1007/s00253-013-5283-1.
  36. Strang, T. y Kigawa, R. 2009. Combatiendo las plagas del patrimonio cultural. Canadian Conservation Institute (ediciones en inglés y francés), ICCROM (edición en español). Recuperado de: http://www.cncr.cl/611/articles-56474_recurso_6.pdf [07 marzo 2017].
  37. Taylor, M., Gaskin, S., Bentham, R. y Pisaniello, D. 2014. Airborne fungal profiles in office buildings in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia: background levels, diversity and seasonal variation. Indoor and Built Environment, 23(7): 1002-1011. DOI: 10.1177/1420326X13499172.
  38. Zotti, M., Ferroni, A. y Calvini, P. 2008. Microfungal biodeterioration of historic paper: preliminary FTIR and microbiological analyses. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation, 62(2): 186-194. DOI: 10.1016/j.ibiod.2008.01.005.