Parchment disinfection treatment by ionizing radiation

The application of science and technology to the knowledge and protection of cultural heritage can help the experts in conservation of historical assets to develop new strategies. A multidisciplinary approach makes to tackle the issues of evaluation, restoration, use and enhancement in a more mature way. Physics and biology sciences applied to the care and diagnosis of cultural heritage is an innovative research field capable of giving unreleased answers to problems still open. As part of the activities undertaken in collaboration between the nuclear fusion technologies and safety department of the ENEA Frascati research center and the Mathematics, Physics and Natural Sciences Faculty of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, an innovative approach has been developed to the study and handling of library goods in general and parchment supports in particular. The aim of our work has been to demonstrate the applicability of bio-degradation removal treatments through ionizing radiation in a non-invasive and safe way and to the characterize the material from the microbiological and opto-thermal point of view.