Special Session 12

The conservation state of works of art, both outdoor and exhibited inside museums, is strongly influenced by the environmental quality. In outdoor environments atmospheric pollutants are responsible of different phenomenon including stone sulphatation and black crusts formation. Temperature and relative humidity are generally monitored in indoor environments but they are not the only parameters to be kept under control. PM (particulate matter) can negatively affect air quality, both outdoor and indoor, and the knowledge of its concentration, particles size distribution and chemical composition must be achieved. In order to get more detailed information on possible risk to which works of art are subjected, a deep knowledge of pollutants (including both gases and particles) concentrations, chemical and physical characteristics is mandatory. In particular the finer fraction must be of greater concern since nanoparticles are able to interact with the work of arts surfaces. Monitoring of microbial should also be considered because it is harmful for the surfaces and biodeterioration represents an important variable in the conservation of cultural heritage. Furthermore, it should be remembered that pollutants act in a synergic way together with other factors (humidity, temperature, etc.) and often the overall effect could be even worse than that caused by any individual factor. This bring to the degradation and alteration of the objects surfaces. The knowledge of pollutants sources can help in controlling and reducing this damage, avoiding expensive restoration interventions.

Topics of this special section include but are not limited to:

• Study of phenomenon induced by pollutants on outdoor surfaces;
• Outdoor air quality monitoring to assess the impact of pollutants on cultural heritage;
• Air quality in museum environments;
• Monitoring of microbial load;
• Assessments of pollutants affecting cultural heritage through innovative systems;
• Innovative methods for surfaces restoration.

Papers presented at the Conference within Special Session #12 "The interaction between environmental pollution and cultural heritage: from outdoor to indoor environment" can be published as extended version in in a dedicated Special Issue on Environmental Science and Pollution Research (ESPR).

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Paola Fermo graduated in chemistry in 1993; researcher in Analytical Chemistry at University of Milan since 1999; since 2015 associate professor in Analytical Chemistry; ASN (scientific national qualification) as full professor in Analytical Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry applied to Cultural Heritage. The research topics are in the field of environmental analytical chemistry as well as analytical chemistry applied to cultural heritage. Principal investigator of national and international projects. Author of 125 scientific publications on international peer-review journals; h-index (Scopus)= 32 and about 3000 citations (Scopus); 20 conference proceeding, 16 book chapters, 250 communications in national and international congresses. Invited speaker in international congresses and member of the editorial board of international journals (Atmosphere, Applied Science, Sustainability, International Journal of Cultural Heritage).

Valeria Comite graduated in Diagnostics, Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage University of Calabria in 2010, PhD Earth Sciences at the University of Catania XXVI Cycle in 2014.
Present occupation: research fellow at the Department of Chemistry University of Milan.
The research topics are in the field of environmental analytical chemistry as well as analytical chemistry applied to cultural heritage.
Author of 36 scientific publications on international peer-review journals; h-index (Scopus)= 10 and about 316 citations (Scopus); 38 conference proceeding, 7 communications in national and international congresses.