Project facts
Presentation
he conservation and restoration of cultural heritage is a difficult discipline to tackle due to its many peculiarities and needs. In addition to the physical-chemical nature of the object itself, there is also the intangible historical-artistic value. This is why, traditionally, the main priority of all conservation and restoration processes has been that the treatments and methodologies should be as respectful as possible to the object, leaving out other aspects, such as toxicological risks for the restorers themselves, the environment and the treatment of waste.
In recent years, the need to include sustainability in heritage conservation has emerged. Awareness of toxicological risk issues for the restorer and for the environment, as well as the search for a substantial improvement in the quality of life, has progressively allowed the development of lines of research in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, focused on the reduction of toxicity parameters.
However, there are obstacles that prevent the implementation of a sustainable methodology in the field of conservation and restoration of cultural property. One of the main problems concerns the accessibility of new products to restorers, in line with new sustainable solutions and methodologies. In addition, some of these products still require further evidence of their efficacy in terms of restoration criteria, together with risk assessments for both human health and the environment. There is little published work on the evaluation and critical analysis of green and sustainable products and methodologies available for cleaning, consolidation and protective operations within the application of cultural heritage.
Finally, another crucial aspect that hinders the use of innovative products and methodologies is the dissemination of information outside the conservation field. The results of these studies are often published in specific journals that are not always addressed to restorers.
In order to make up for these problems, a research group with extensive experience in heritage conservation and restoration has been set up, whose lines of research include the critical evaluation of new products and intervention methodologies, including consolidation treatments of stone supports with sustainable materials (hydroxyapatite nanoparticles), consolidation with natural glues of pictorial layers, and gelled cleaning systems and laser techniques.
The aim of the project is to study and study in depth the use of sustainable materials and methodologies in conservation and restoration of heritage available on the market based on a critical evaluation of their effectiveness and viability from the point of view of conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, as well as the evaluation of possible risks to both human health and the environment.
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