Fabiana Portoni

Alumna student, University College London

Project Title 

Increasing the understanding of organic pesticide residues in indigenous and world cultures objects in museum collections

Background & Summary of Project

In the past, many museum objects were treated with some or a  variety of harmful chemicals to protect them from pest damage. Nowadays, years after application, some of these residues may be a significant hazard to people working with these collections. But how much of a health risk is it to work with or handle these objects? This interdisciplinary project involves heritage science and analytical chemistry to improve the understanding of volatile organic pesticide residues in museum artefacts from the British Museum collection. The aim is to inform strategies and best practice for handling contaminated objects.

Partners

• UCL Institute of Sustainable Heritage

Publications 

Portoni, F., Grau-Bové, J. and Strlic, M., Toxic collections: increasing the understanding of organic pesticide residues in indigenous and world cultures collections in museums

Portoni, F., Grau-Bové, J. and Strlič, M., 2019. Application of a non-invasive, non-destructive technique to quantify naphthalene emission rates from museum objects. Heritage Science, 7(1), p.58.