Anoxic Treatment for the Eradication of Insects in the Choral Books of the Museo del Convento de los Descalzos, Lima, Peru

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30763/Intervencion.296.v1n29.75.2024

Keywords:

choir books, anoxia, disinfestation, inert environment

Abstract

One of the main causes of the loss of historical heritage in museums is insect attacks. At the Museo del Convento de los Descalzos in Lima, Peru, this is a severe problem, particularly in its choral books, which date from the 17th to 19th centuries, due to the materials used in their manufacture. Some disinfestation treatments for objects require compounds that either damage them or are toxic. A non-aggressive and effective alternative to disinfestation is anoxic treatment. In this case, the books were placed in laminated aluminum bags filled with nitrogen and an oxygen inhibitor. The treatment's efficiency was confirmed through X-ray images of the books. This inexpensive and easily adaptable disinfestation method was successful and constitutes a noteworthy way to stop the deterioration caused by xylophagous infestation, both of choral books and other objects of artistic and historical value.

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Author Biographies

Javier Nakamatsu, Departamento de Ciencias, Sección Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú (PUCP), Peru

Graduated in Chemistry from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú (PUCP) and PhD in Chemistry from Louisiana State University, USA. He is a professor at the Department of Sciences at the PUCP, where he works as a teacher at both undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition, he investigates topics related to the chemical recycling of synthetic plastics, the obtaining, characterization, and applications of biopolymers, the formation of geopolymers from industrial waste, the stabilization of soils with fibers and polymeric materials, and, recently, the formulation of mixtures for 3D printing for construction. He is currently the coordinator of the Materials Modification Research Group.

Jhonatan Arízaga, Departamento de Ciencias, Sección Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Peru

Graduated in Chemistry from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú (PUCP) in 2018. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Materials Sciences and Engineering, also at PUCP. He has experience assisting research projects on artistic and cultural heritage materials using several analytical techniques (XRF, Raman, GC-MS, FT-IR), and work experience in quality control of mineral and soil samples for the mining industry, in companies such as ALS Perú y Cía: Minera Agregados Calcáreos, S.A. The development of self-healing coatings for the prevention of corrosion in metallic materials is one of the topics among his interests.

Ivon Canseco, Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes del Perú (ENSABAP), Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Lima (MAC-Lima), Peru

Bachelor in Plastic and Visual Arts with a specialty in Conservation and Restoration from the Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes del Perú (ENSABAP). She graduated with a Master’s Degree in Higher Education from the Universidad Nacional de Educación (National University of Education) “Enrique Guzmán y Valle”. Since June 2022, she has worked as a curator at the Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Lima (MAC-Lima), and, since 2016, she has been teaching at ENSABAP. Between 2015 and 2017, she was coordinator of the Paper Conservation and Restoration Workshop of the Fundación Descalzos del Rímac, responsible for the project Conservación Preventiva de la Colección de Libros Corales del Museo del Convento de los Descalzos, and curator of the Museo del Convento de los Descalzos.

Patricia Gonzales, Departamento de Ciencias, Sección Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Peru

Graduated in Chemistry from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) and PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics from the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, USA). She is a professor in the Departamento de Ciencias at PUCP, where she works as a teacher and researcher. Her research lines, focus on the chemical analysis of archaeological and artistic objects, and she coordinates the Grupo de Análisis de Materiales de Patrimonio Cultural.

References

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Additional Files

Published

2024-07-31

How to Cite

Nakamatsu, J., Arízaga, J., Canseco, I., & Gonzales, P. (2024). Anoxic Treatment for the Eradication of Insects in the Choral Books of the Museo del Convento de los Descalzos, Lima, Peru. Intervención, 1(29), 147–184. https://doi.org/10.30763/Intervencion.296.v1n29.75.2024

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 29 (2024): enero-junio

Section

Informe académico

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