Essential Oils for the Conservation of Paper Items
Felicia Menicucci,
Eleonora Palagano,
Marco Michelozzi,
Andrea Ienco
Affiliations
Felicia Menicucci
Institute for the Chemistry of Organo Metallic Compounds, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
Eleonora Palagano
Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
Marco Michelozzi
Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
Andrea Ienco
Institute for the Chemistry of Organo Metallic Compounds, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, Sesto Fiorentino, 50019 Florence, Italy
Archival documents and artworks stored in libraries frequently undergo degradative processes promoted by the so-called “biodeteriogens” that inhabit these places. A renewed interest in plant-derived products has arisen in those research groups focusing on cultural heritage preservation and looking for new and safe disinfection techniques. In this view, essential oils (EOs) and their volatile organic constituents are very appealing thanks to their versatility of action. A literature survey of the scientific publications involving EOs and/or their major constituents related to the conservation of paper items of cultural heritage interest is presented here, aiming to reveal benefits and limitations of such peculiar plant-derived compounds.
