Meet Inspiring Speakers and Experts at our 3000+ Global Conference Series Events with over 1000+ Conferences, 1000+ Symposiums
and 1000+ Workshops on Medical, Pharma, Engineering, Science, Technology and Business.

Explore and learn more about Conference Series : World's leading Event Organizer

Back

Dorota Rybitwa and Anna Wawrzyk

Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Poland

Title: New approach to disinfection of historical objects from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum, Poland in order to protect cellulosic materials from biodegradation with the use of VHP

Biography

Biography: Dorota Rybitwa and Anna Wawrzyk

Abstract

The collections of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Poland (A-BSM) have hundreds of thousands of objects containing diff erent types of cellulosic materials. Due to the need for A-BSMs historical objects to be protected from the destruction caused by biodegradation, new research has been started on the use of hydrogen peroxide in the gas form to fi nd an eff ective and safe technique for disinfecting cellulosic materials. Vaporized hydrogen peroxide (VHP) bio decontamination systems provide a fast, safe and low-temperature sanitizing process of closed microbiologically contaminated rooms along with their equipment, air and surfaces. Th e aims of the study were to assess the microbiological contamination of historical objects from the A-BSM (culture-dependent and metagenomic methods), to evaluate the antimicrobial eff ectiveness of VHP disinfection at a concentration of 300 ppm for 20 minutes and to assess the impact of VHP disinfection on the optical (colour measurement spectrophotometry) and structural (SEC-MALLS-RI chromatography) properties of cellulosic materials. Th e microbiological contamination of cellulosic elements from historical objects ranged from 102 to 106 CFU/100 cm2. Cellulosic materials were inhabited by bacteria mainly belonging to the genera Bacillus, Micrococcus and Staphylococcus. Th e most frequently isolated fi lamentous fungi included the genera: Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium and Penicillium. VHP disinfection under the conditions of performed tests caused a reduction in the number of microorganisms of more than 97%. Disinfection with VHP (300 ppm, 20 min) did not change the color (ΔE*<2.0 CIELab units) and the degree of cellulose polymerization of the new and historical materials.