Chlorine dioxide

Scott Campbell <scott_campbell_-alt [at] adidam__org> writes

>We have 2500 books arriving from the tropics that will require some
>form of treatment for mold, and would like to know other's
>experience using chlorine dioxide gas. ...

Chlorine dioxide is an oxidizing bleach.  It is used in the paper
industry to remove lignin and other undesirable components from the
pulp which lead to a darker original sheet, and the potential for
further darkening.  In the case of paper manufacture the fragments
created by bleaching are washed from the pulp.  If you use chlorine
dioxide on books, it will react not only with the mold, but also
with the paper and binding causing increased oxidation. For this
reason, books which are of value are generally not treated this way.

Moldy materials should be dried, and maintained in an environment
with a relative humidity less that 60%.  If the materials are to be
handled by the public, then vacuuming with a Nilfisk, or brushing
dried mold off, in a dedicated laboratory hood is prudent.

Susan Lee-Bechtold, PhD


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 21:39
                 Distributed: Sunday, January 20, 2008
                       Message Id: cdl-21-39-004
                                  ***