The role of green chemistry in cultural heritage conservation and the campaign against graphic vandalism Innovation: state of the art of research and implications
FRANCESCO TROVO’*1, ELENA GRIGUOL2
*Corresponding author
1. Soprintendenza archeologia, belle arti e paesaggio per il comune di Venezia e laguna S.Marco, Venezia, Italy
2. University Cà Foscari of Venice, Department of Environmental Sciences, Venezia , Italy
Abstract
In recent years, there has been an increase of awareness campaigns promoting the use of green materials and methodologies in the field of cultural heritage restoration and conservation, in order to safeguard the operator health and the environment. Hence, the necessity of a strict collaboration among Green Chemistry experts coming from academia, industry and public bodies, e.g., municipal authorities and institutions, to protect cultural heritage assets, from the intensification of the phenomenon of graphic vandalism: a real plague for historic centres and art cities like Venice.
The aim of this work is to present an overview about the state of the art of the research and the challenges that all partners are facing in order guarantee more profitable, efficient and environmentally friendly conservative interventions through the development of newly proposed green solutions and methodologies.
INTRODUCTION
Chemistry and cultural heritage have a lot of common ground, especially if considering the use of chemistry in restoration.
On the one hand, when dealing with the realization of conservative interventions, cultural policies have history of art as their natural sphere of action, that is, movable cultural properties, such as sculptures, paintings and mosaics etc., and architecture, when considering historical buildings.
On the other hand, the development of techniques and products has long been the privileged field of applied sciences, chemistry in primis. Today, chemistry for restoration is a recognized discipline, and cannot be considered secondary to the other components in the field of conservation. In particular, Green Chemistry applied to restoration is showing its value as a mature, conscious discipline and a strong authoritative field of study and research.
Technical developments and the emergence of new requirements, also concerning ecological sustainability and product toxicity reduction, give rise to new challenges in this field. Green Chemistry is deeply connected to the understanding of the nature and prop ...
