Implementation of ATP bioluminescence method in the study of the fungal deterioration of textile artefacts

Abstract

Two silk artefacts from museum collections in Serbia, a silk icon from Petar Lubarda Legacy and a scroll made with traditional japanese techniques were analyzed for fungal presence. Fungi isolated from both the silk artefacts belonged to the genera Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Penicillium and Rhizopus. Actively growing colonies of Aspergillus and Penicillium species had caused chromatic alterations on the silk icon and their metabolic activity was demonstrated by high relative light unit values. In this research, measurement of the total microbial activity using the ATP bioluminescence method was used for the first time on silk artefacts and on textile in general. Scaning electron microscopy analysis of the scroll indicated that hyphae of Chaetomium globosum are capable of the mechanical deterioration of silk, as shown by the presence of cracks and gaps in silk fibres. This appears to be the first report of silk fibre degradation caused by C. globosum.