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Content archived on 2024-05-14

"Pesticides free" disinfestation of antiques from insect pests

Objective



The intended research project aims the development and testing on real condition of an innovative device to solve the problem of havig to use dangerous and toxic substances to preserve the cultural heritage from insect pest damage. The device will be used to create "almost zero oxygen" atmosphere inside plastic bags where the objects are sealed for 14-15 days under these anaerobic conditions at controlled temperature and relative humidity. By this way it will be possible to guarantee the 100% mortality of all insect pests at any stage of their life (i.e. eggs, larvae, pupae) and the safety and health at work for the operators of the sector of antiques restoration. At the present, the desinfestation of articrafts (furniture, books, tapestries, etc) is performed by the adoption of chemical pesticides; they represent a serious problem for safety and health at work to operators (carcinogen and mutagen at concentrations of 1 ppm, IST Istituto perla Ricerca sul Cancro) and cause serious environmental pollution (the most used, Methyl bromide, since 1993 is listed under the Montreal Protocol as a substance that depletes the ozone layer. Moreover, it has to be pointed out that the objects'constituent materials, when fumigated with insecticides, absorb these substances and xill slowly emit them in the rooms where the people breath them. the here proposed thecnology will solve thes problems with a very cos effective method; in fact it si expected tha the cost of the "new kind of disinfestetion" will decrease from the present 1.000 - 1.5OOO ECU per itam to 200 - 250 ECU. At the present, the consortium that will carry out the research project comprises the following organisations: 1. MASTER of Genova, Italy - that is a small industry specialised in the manufacture of instruments and systems to measure and control chemical and physical parameters like temperature, humidity, pollutants concentration. The instruments manufactured by Master aer commercialised world wide. 2.WURMITZER of Himmelberg, Austria - taht is a well known company involved in manufacture of electric/electronic systems and skilled in the field of data processing. 3.Instituto De Conservacion y Reastauracion de Bienes Culturales of Madrid, Spain - That is body of MINISTERIO de la CULTURA for the studies and research on the preservation of cultural heritage. During the expansion phase other partners will be found: they will contribute both to the RTD proposal development and to the project execution.

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

Master Srl
EU contribution
No data
Address
Via Muratori 28/D
16162 Genova
Italy

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Total cost
No data

Participants (2)