MICROBIAL DEGRADATION OF ANCIENT TEXTILES HOUSED IN THE EGYPTIAN TEXTILE MUSEUM AND METHODS OF ITS CONTROL

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Conservation dept., Faculty of Archaeology, Aswan Univ., Aswan, Egypt

2 Conservator, Conservation Center, Grand Egyptian Museum, Egypt

3 Conservator, El-Manial Palace Museum, Supreme Council of Antiquities, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract

All ancient textile materials have a simple chemical composition, mainly cellulose and protein. This organic component increases the susceptibility of textiles to soaking up and retaining wet from the unfavorable conditions of high humidity and temperature, causing microbial deterioration. Microbial deterioration of archaeological textile was studied as a state from the Egyptian Textile Museum; isolation, purification, and identification of the causative microorganisms were occurring, where the most common microorganisms isolated from archaeological textiles were molds. Bio-logical activities of the isolated microorganisms were studied and disinfection of archaeological textile was applied using different methods. The characteristics of test methods and disinfection include their application to historical objects. Historic textiles were analyzed from different perspectives: Stereo microscopes, SEM with EDX, FTIR, as well as fiber structure and fiber chemical composition. The results illustrated that the best concentrations of a specific mic-robicide for the bio-treatment of infected textile materials is Di-chloroxylenol at (1000 ppm). It is sufficient to inhibit all isolated microorganisms, followed by p-chloro-m-cresol at (1000 ppm) concentration, and Sodium azide at (2000 ppm) concentration.

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