Detecting mold

Geert Maas <g.maas<-a t->ubu< . >ruu< . >nl> writes

>Our situation now could be described as a sort of truce, the mold is
>still there but we don't see any growth. In this situation every
>change is tricky. At this moment one of the infected areas is
>scheduled for restructuring. In the next couple of years we will
>probably see a lot more of this activity, since we plan to move the
>entire collection to a new facility. So we need to monitor the
>collection on a regular basis. Therefore I am looking for a very
>simple way of detecting mold-infection.

Mold growth which is clear and colourless is usually vegetative and
known as hyaline. There are also some hyaline spored fungi.  At any
rate this particular vegetative clear colourless fungi (hyaline) is
highly susceptible to UV light in the 200-300nm range.  If in your
routine of monitoring you could expose your books to a lamp with
this specific wavelength you may start to win the fight.  I don't
know if the fungi will be visible under this wavelength but it does
lethal damage to the DNA.

It is *very* important that you use 200-300nm UV as UV radiation of
360-420nm will excite an enzyme which will repair the damage the
former radiation wavelengths will do to the DNA.  The problem with
my suggestion, not only finding a lamp with the specific UV
radiation but also gauging a relatively lethal exposure time.  My
personal thought is 5 min in a light box.  You could look into this
in the scientific community - I know Calgary is using UV radiation
to purify its municipal water, so there must be some research on
exposure times.

Also note that fungi with mylinaization (colour) are less susceptible
to the 200-300nm UV.  But as they are coloured you can see them and
can deal with them appropriately.

The information here was gleaned from the following source:

    Deacon.W.J.  Introduction to Modern Mycology. 2ed.  Blackwell
    Scientific Publications. Oxford. 1984. p.112.

(also I am including a ref. paper which might also be of use) Suzuki
Y., Kumagai T & Oda Y. (1977) Locus of blue and near ultraviolet
reversible photoreaction in the stages of conidial development in
"Botrytis cinerea".  Journal of General Microbiology. 98, 199-204.

Hope this is of some use.  Good Luck,

Nancy Child
Objects Conservator

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:85
                  Distributed: Monday, March 31, 1997
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