Photograph Conservation & Restoration
 

Publication – Ethanol as a disinfection treatment for moulded photographs

The results of Chloé Lucas’ research on ethanol disinfection to treat mould damaged photographs just got published in Restorator, a peer-reviewed journal.

ethanol disinfection photograph silver gelatin print antifungal

Abstract

This study deals with mould damaged photographic gelatin disinfection methods. Ethanol is used as an antifungal treatment, with success, in the medical and food industry. A solution of deionised water and absolute ethanol (30:70 v/v) mixture has been shown as the most efficient. The goal of this study was to determine a suitable method to apply this mixture in order to obtain a biocide effect. Three implementations were tested: solvent chamber, direct contact and direct contact followed by a mechanical removal. Different treatment times were tested for each method. The tests were done on four fungal strains: Alternaria alternataAspergillus nigerChaetomium globosum and Penicillium brevicompactumThe deionized water and absolute ethanol mixture, applied for two hours in a solvent chamber, succeeded in inactivating the four tested fungal strains.

Click HERE to read it.

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