46075 - Interactions Between Pollutants and Cultural Heritage

Learning outcomes

After completing the course, the student will have a basic knowledge about main issues related to Cultural Heritage decay, especially regarding to chemical decay. He will also acquire basic knowledge on chemical technologies applicable for the analysis and control of aggressive chemical species, for diagnostic purposes and as a support to restoration.

Course contents

Course contents:

Cultural Heritage: definitions and norms. Main classes of materials constituting outdoor and indoor artefacts and built heritage. "Life Cycle" of a Cultural Heritage.

Material-environment system, concepts of decay and durability of materials, climate and microclimate. Decay factors (anthropic, physical, biological and chemical) and their interaction.

Main aggressive outdoor and indoor chemical species (e.g. sulfur and nitrogen compounds, inorganic and organic acids, oxidizing species, volatile organic compounds, atmospheric particulate matter, soluble salts) and degradation mechanisms induced by them depending on the type of material and on the exposure conditions. Relationship between indoor and outdoor environment.

Methodologies for studying the decay of materials. Dosage-response functions and definition of acceptable limits for pollutants as regards Cultural Heritage. Monitoring and control of the exposure environment.

Brief overview on diagnostics, restoration and conservation of a Cultural Heritage. Sampling and non-destructive, micro-destructive and destructive analysis. Main diagnostic techniques.

The issues addressed are also illustrated through the presentation of case studies.

Prerequisites:

Dimensional formulae and physical units. (Course: Physics)

Classification of inorganic compounds. Chemical reactions and their balance. Perfect gas status equation. Gas mixtures. Partial pressures. Equilibria and concentrations in solution. Ionic water product. pH. Strong and weak acids and bases. Hydrolysis of salts. Solubility of ionic solids. Free energy and spontaneity of a chemical reaction. The chemical bond. Oxidation number. Status Charts. (Formative Activity: General Chemistry and Inorganic Chemistry with Laboratory)

States of matter. Electrochemistry. Galvanic cells and electrolytic cells. Reduction reactions. Definition of anode and cathode. (Formative activity: Physical Chemistry)

Classification, structure and reactivity of the main functional groups and classes of organic compounds. (Training activity: Organic Chemistry I with laboratory)

Redox balance, precipitation equilibrium. Solubility and pH. Titrations. (Formative activity: Analytical chemistry with laboratory)

Principal spectroscopic and chromatographic techniques. (Training activity: Instrumental Analytical Chemistry with Laboratory)

Structure and chemical-physical characteristics of the atmosphere. Sources, reactions and effects of the main inorganic and organic compounds in the troposphere. Removal of atmospheric pollutants. Acid rain. Composition and chemical properties of water and soil. Main causes and methods of environmental contamination of natural and anthropogenic origin. (Training activity: Environmental Chemistry)

Pollutants: definition, dispersion in the atmosphere and environmental distribution, sampling and analysis. (Training activity: Waste Management and Pollution Control with laboratory)

Readings/Bibliography

Campanella L. et al., Chimica per l'arte. Zanichelli Editore, 2007.

Chiantore O., Rava A., Conservare L'arte Contemporanea Problemi, metodi, materiali, ricerche. Electa Editore, 2005.

Brimblecombe P., The effect of air pollution on the built environment. Imperial College Press, 2003.

Matteini M., Moles A., Scienza e restauro: metodi d'indagine. Nardini Editore, Firenze, 2003.

Hatchfield P. B., Pollutants in the museum environment: practical strategies for problem solving in design, exhibition and storage, Archetype publications, 2002.

M. Matteini, A. Moles. La Chimica nel Restauro: I Materiali dell'Arte Pittorica. Nardini Editore, Firenze, 1989.

Although recommended to the students for widening their knowledge of the various topics, these books are not formally adopted as textbooks nor followed in a detailed way.

Fundamental is the teaching material made available online by the teacher (http://campus.unibo.it) and lecture notes.

Teaching methods

Frontal lesson with support of PC presentations, videos, and schemes/reactions drawn on the blackboard. Deepening activities by individual students or groups of two of them, under the guidance of the teacher, are also performed.

The course could include seminars and conferences on specific subjects and/or visits to external sites (e.g. monuments, laboratories, museum).

Assessment methods

The final examination consists in an oral interview which focuses on the themes dealt with during the course and that aims to verify the achievement of the following learning outcomes:

- knowledge of the main classes of materials constituting the cultural heritage and of the main causes and mechanisms of their degradation

- knowing and evaluating in advance the possible influence of pollutants and environmental conditions on the degradation of cultural goods (outdoor and indoor)

- knowledge of the main techniques/methodologies for the study of degradation mechanisms, for the diagnosis and monitoring of the cultural heritage and for the control of environmental conditions, in a prospect of restoration and preservation.

During the interview, in addition to questions about the program, results of researches or activities eventually performed by the student during the course could be also discussed.

The relevance, completeness and clarity of the response, the ability to synthesize (where required), the achievement of an organic and critical vision of the issues addressed and the use of a proper scientific language will be positively evaluated.

In order to attend the examination, it is necessary to enter one's name in the list through AlmaEsami before the deadline (visible under “Exam sessions” in the Teaching page of the teacher website). Those who are not able to register themselves, they are required to promptly notify (before the official closing of the subscription lists) the problem to the teacher, who has the right to admit or not to take the exam.

Teaching tools

PC and projector, blackboard.

The teaching material is made available to the students in electronic format on the webpage https://elearning-cds.unibo.it/. Password is reserved for students enrolled at the University of Bologna and will be provided by the teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Elena Bernardi