Cultural property
inside museums—textiles and works of art on paper and pigments and leather
bindings, for example—can be threatened by outdoor pollutants, such as
automobile exhaust fumes, and by pollutants generated from indoor sources, such
as gases from cleaning products. Indoor-generated pollutants generally pose the
greatest threat to artifacts because of their continuous and close proximity.
The focus of this volume, based on the Getty Trust Museum Monitoring Project as
well as case studies, is environmental monitoring for common gaseous
pollutants, with emphasis on passive sampling. The volume begins with an
overview of the history and nature of pollutants of concern to museums and a
discussion of the challenges facing scientists, conservators, and collections
managers seeking to develop target pollutant guidelines to protect cultural
property. Subsequent chapters address passive sampling, the planning and
conducting of an air quality monitoring program, and the interpretation of
results and mitigation considerations. The appendix is a comprehensive
compilation of the major gaseous pollutants encountered in museums, their
sources, and the at-risk materials.