Low-technology dust monitoring for historic collections

Abstract

A qualitative understanding of the particles in dust and their sources helps to identify ways to reduce the accumulation of dust within historic houses. Knowing the possible sources of dust helps to suggest preventive steps. Simple low-technology methods enable rapid identification of dust deposits and require little specialist equipment. Dust samples can be collected on sticky surfaces for examination with a hand lens or microscope. The size of particles and fibres, and amount of surface coverage, can be estimated roughly using a graticule or coverage chart. An atlas of common dust components aids identification of soil dust, soot, insects, plant fragments, hair, skin, paint/plaster, clothing fibres, paper, food and mould. A mixture of fine dust is resolvable into a range of particle and fibre types. Long exposures of sticky samplers, with an estimate of the area covered by dust, indicate the rate of deposition and suggest the cleaning frequency necessary to prevent negative visitor reactions. The atlas lists suppliers and sources of information

Dust detection and analysis in museum environment based on pattern recognition

“…Longer fibres mainly results by human hair or animal dander and also in this case it is possible to distinguish them based on the diameter (animal dander can be less than half the diameter of human hair) [37,41].…”

Quantifying Housekeeping Challenge and Conservation Need

“…Following the research into 'Controls on irreversible soiling' [5,6,[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22], and a greater understanding of the sources and distribution of coarse dust in response to the number of visitors and their proximity to collections, the cleaning schedules were refined. Cleaning resources were allocated more precisely, in proportion to the size of each room, the area accessible to visitors, and the fragility and density of its furnishings and collections.…”

“…The research studied the effect of visitors on dust in historic collections [10], and the consequent impacts of dust on the care and management of collections [11], dust in historic libraries [12], staff and visitor perceptions of dust [13][14][15][16][17], the economics of dust [18], and causes of cementation [19,20]. The work concluded with guidance on low-technology methods of monitoring dust deposition [21] and a dust atlas enabling the identification of coarse dust particles [22].…”

A New Dusts Sensor for Cultural Heritage Applications Based on Image Processing

“…Other commercial dust sensors are developed to correct artefacts in digital cameras [30], used in automatic vacuum cleaners [31], or developed for particular applications such as the determination of dust in extra-terrestrial planets [32]. On the other hand, most of the researches carried out on the dust effects in Cultural Heritage do not involve new technologies, which would allow to automatically recognizing the dust [33]. In [34] the researchers employed physical sampling of the particulates, using an appropriate adherent material by which to collect dust deposits, in order to design transparent barriers for splitting the exhibition environment from the one dedicated to transit of the visitors.…”