Elimination of fungi harmful to human health, inhabiting historic fabrics, using a new technique of fogging with ethanol and antibiotics (benzylpenicillin and streptomycin)

Author : Anna Wawrzyk, Natalia Pydyn, Iga Wawrzyk-Bochenek

Abstract :Aim: Aim of the study was to assess the biocidal efficacy of a new decontamination technique of 90% ethanol with the addition of antibiotics (streptomycin and penicillin) applied in the form of a mist on the surface of textile materials from historical objects in the collections of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum in Oświęcim, Poland (A-BSM). Materials and method: Microorganisms used for the study Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus versicolor, Cladosporium cladosporoides, Chaetomium elatum, Mucor plumbeus, Penicillum chrysogenum, Aspergillus flavus were isolated from the surfaces of textile objects in A-BSM. A strain from the American culture collection Chaetomium globosum ATCC 6205 was also used for the study. The fungi were inoculated on solid SDA medium. Incubated for 7 days at 25°C. Suspensions of mould spores were prepared in distilled water to obtain a density above 1x106 cfu/ml. Samples of model cotton fabrics and historical fabrics were inoculated with microorganisms at a concentration of 104 CFU/ml. A mixture of antibiotics was prepared: 0.4056 g/100 ml benzylpenicillin and 0.0512 g/100 ml strepromycin. Antibiotics in 90% alcohol solutions for testing the killing effect were applied using a VE 0707 airbrush with a pressure of 0.2 MPa and a PA HEAD VLH-5 nozzle with a tip diameter of 1.05 mm.In order to obtain more effective disinfection after the application of ethanol mist, the samples were stored in PE foil at 21oC ± 1oC for 22 ± 1h. Result: The reduction of the number of microorganisms on modern cotton fabric and on historical fabric after the use of ethanol in the form of a mist of 90% ethanol with the addition of streptomycin and penicillin eliminated 100% of the tested 9 species of mold fungi and one species of fungus from the American Culture Collection (ATCC 6205).

Keywords :Biocidal efficacy, ethanol mist, antibiotics, textile decontamination, historical artifacts, mold fungi, Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum, cultural heritage conservation, microbiological contamination, preservation techniques.

Conference Name :International Conference on Mycology, Fungi and Fungal Biology (ICMFFB-24)

Conference Place Tokyo, Japan

Conference Date 18th Dec 2024