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Project List » A chance for the future of the archives: Conservation by irradiation

A chance for the future of the archives: Conservation by irradiation
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Extended website: http://www.irasm.ro/arcon/arcon.htm

Acronym: ARCON
Contracting Authority: Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI)
Number / Date of the contract: 92-083 / 01.10.2008
Parteneriate in domeniile prioritare
Project Manager: Ioan Valentin Moise
Partners: PULP AND PAPER R&D INSTITUTE - SC CEPROHART SA - BRAILA, ROMANIA; “Alexandru Darabont” NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR WORK SAFETY - BUCHAREST, ROMANIA; Braila Museum - BRAILA, ROMANIA
Starting date / finishing date: 2008-10-01 / 2011-10-01
Project value: 2000000 RON
Abstract: To establish the method for the radiation treatment of the documents from the administrative, legal, commercial or historical archives, that are affected by microbial or insect attack, the project aims to assemble an multi-disciplinary research team from the fields of cellulose and paper, radiation processing, work safety, custodians and archive administrators. By reducing the use of chemicals, irradiation is an efficient and environmental friendly alternative for the decontamination of large volume archives and contributes to safer workplaces for the conservation and restoration specialists, for the users and administrators of the archives.
ARCON goals are targeted to the documents from the recent archives, which can become historical proves and cultural heritage in an unpredictable future. For the present archives radiation treatment can be a chance for survival in this unspecified time horizon. The treatment of archives and collections from museums and libraries will be done only with the quantification of the supplementary “ageing” induced by the treatment, related to the life time of the document. It is not excluded the “emergency” treatment of the documents with an immediate danger of total destruction. The project consists in:
- Documentation and implementation of the decontamination method based on gamma radiation processing.
- Obtaining of new data on the physical and chemical changes induced by gamma radiation in paper, parchment, inks, etc.
- Identification of the biodegradation agents and establishment of their radiation resistance.
- Treatment for cultural heritage items with great value (rare books, manuscripts) which has an urgent need for decontamination.
- Dissemination of the novel results by presentation in conferences and publication in specialized journals.
To establish the initial bioburden and the biocide effect of the treatment will be used classic microbiology methods, molecular biology methods and entomology methods. To establish the absorbed dose needed for the treatment will be used methods similar to those described in ISO 11137:2007 (radiation sterilization of medical devices).
To quantify the effect of radiation treatment there is need for: - ranking the archives by paper type and bio-contamination degree - quantification of the biological risk - physical and chemical testing, before and after the irradiation and accelerated ageing studies.
A cost-benefit analysis will be made, comparing other bio-decontamination methods currently available.
The method of treatment will be transposed to a standard – guidelines for radiation treatment of archives.

Objectives:

THE STAGES OF THE PROJECT AND DELIVERY DATES
1. Studies concerning requirements and limitations in irradiation treatment applied to different sorts of paper and materials existing in archives (2009-01-30)
2. Preliminary characterization tests before and after treatment for component materials of archived documents - Part 1 Preliminary tests. (2009-12-15)
3. Preliminary characterization tests before and after treatment for component materials of archived documents - Part 2 Tests on exprimental batch (2010-06-30)
4. Testing the methodology over an experimental batch (2011-03-31)
5. Results Dissemination (2011-09-30)

RESULTS
PUBLISHED ARTICLES
RESEARCH TEAM


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