Abstract
Preserving cultural heritage in accordance with museum collection conservation standards is a complex challenge that requires conservators to address various critical issues. Specifically, organic materials such as textiles, paper, wood, and human remains need special measures to prevent chemical-physical and microbiological deterioration due to their fragile nature. One of the factors contributing to their degradation is the emission of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted for example by materials normally used in museum showcases, which contribute significantly to corrosive processes. Although numerous studies have been conducted to understand VOCs, there are currently no conservation systems available that provide adequate insulation and ensure complete protection against pollutants and degenerative agents.
This study demonstrates how modern analytical techniques, and innovative polymeric materials have enabled the design and creation of a pioneering container for cultural heritage preservation. This is the Conservation Soft Box (CSB), a device with a high level of tightness that allows the reproduction of customised environments tailored to specific conservation requirements. CSB’s constructive materials were validated for their low emissions of VOCs demonstrating compliance with safety standards. Additionally, a solution with activated charcoal for removing latent VOCs was tested demonstrating complete effectiveness.
Recently, this innovative conservation technique has been applied to the conservation of the Capacocha mummified subadult individuals found on Ampato and Sara Sara volcanoes, located in the south of Perú, which are housed at the Museo Santuarius Andinos in the city of Arequipa. This is a first step for future conservative analyses and processes to be carried out in controlled environments.