Fungal Infestation and Antifungal Treatment of Organic Heritage Objects

Fungal infestation is a serious problem in conservation of heritage articles including manuscripts, textiles, paintings, bones, and wooden objects, especially in warm and damp environment, gradually causing damage to biodegradable organic material. Infestation may result in discoloration, staining, and weakening of the heritage material. Methods to circumvent the problem include (1) Environmental control (regulating temperature, humidity, and ventilation of the storage area to prevent fungal growth and spread), (2) Quarantine (isolation of the infested items to prevent further infestation), (3) Vacuuming (removing surface fungi from the heritage object), (4) Chemical treatments (use of fungicides to prevent fungal growth), and (5) Freezing (placing the infested object in a freezer to kill fungi, especially robust small objects—not recommended for large or fragile items). However, most of these methods are not foolproof, and often, the problem persists after the treatment. This chapter provides a glimpse of the conservation of biodegradable heritage art against fungal infestation along with description of common fungi of interest to heritage conservators and their mode of dispersal and mechanisms of biodeterioration. The physical and chemical changes in the infested heritage objects, the techniques and methods used to detect infestation, control of microbial growth, and treatment methods are discussed here.