Removing Foxing Stains on Books, Papers, Photographs: foxing cause, cures, & prevention

YOU ARE READING: Removing Foxing Stains on Books, Papers, Photographs: foxing cause, cures, & prevention AT PhebinhvanhocEN

fox stains on books, papers, photographs: cause, cure, prevention

Our photograph of book foxing illustrates foxing stains on the page edges of the book discussed in this article. Photograph taken in direct sunlight. [Click to enlarge any image]

Article Series Contents

• foxing stains on books & papers
  • causes of rusty or rusty stains on paper, photos, books
  • how to test for rusty stains
  • definition & basic chemistry of foxing stains
  • what are foxing stains like?
  • what are foxing fungi?
  • how to remove & prevent foxing spots
  • mold vs fungus vs foxing spots

  question/comment: what causes rust spots or scuff marks on books and paper? foxing definition, chemistry, causes, treatments or methods of elimination and prevention

  answer: iron oxide, fungus and yeast associated with foxing in books and articles: causes, cures, prevention

  1. iron oxide (ugly) has nothing to do with foxing. it represents the “flaking” of iron and is generally inactive in paper documents.
  2. perhaps the author is confusing it with iron oxyhydroxide (pheooh) responsible for the “rusting”. rust can be easily detected and cannot be properly labeled as foxing.
  1. The chemical origin of foxing is believed to be due to the fact that iron ions [i.e., Fe(ii) and Fe(iii)] catalyze the oxidation of the paper, producing the brown stains yellowish. these stains belong to the organic chemistry of cellulose and gelatin.
  2. perhaps we were not clear in our articles, but we mean that “sometimes” the (dead) bodies of fungi can be removed mechanically, which which explains its absence in several sem analyses. ftir analysis shows that fungi have stained the fibers, and these stains cannot be removed mechanically.

  how experts examine foxing stains on paper products

  Foxing and other stains on paper are typically examined by several methods including

  • Direct visual examination in daylight or under daylight-frequency artificial light (photos included in this article) At left our photograph illustrates extensive foxing stains on the right-hand paper just inside the cover of the book used for these foxing illustrations. The role of chemistry of glues and other materials in the selective appearance of foxing stains in books and on other papers might be inferred by the foxing stain pattern shown at the right side of our photo.
  • Microscopic examination using transmitted light microscopy (photos included in this article)
  • Fluorescence, detected by exposure to UV radiation (“Wood light” instrument: Vilber Loumart, VL-15L, 15W-365 nm, tube power 30W). The procedure adopted follows the protocol presented in Zotti et al (2008)). [17a]
  • Light spectroscopy, or Fourier Transform Infrared (spectroscopy) – (FT-IR or FTIR), a term applied to a variety of types of spectroscopy including optical spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, FT-NIRS, FTIR spectroscopy) – cf Zotti 2008 [17a]
  • Culture media might be used to further study some fungal species collected from a surface but with the caveat that most fungi will not grow on culture media and those that do may appear morphologically quite different from their growth on other substances (see MOLD CULTURE TEST KIT VALIDITY)

  definition & basic chemistry of foxing stains on books, papers, photographs

  what do foxing spots look like on books or paper?

  I’m not an expert book or paper conservator, but our photo (above left) is indeed a typical example of modest foxing marks or stains on both the page edges and within pages as well. The example is from our copy of Hypatia or Woman and Knowledge, by Dora Russell, third impression, printed by Mackays Ltd., Chatam, London, in the mid 1920’s. Examining small brown spots of “foxing” stains from a sample page macroscopically we observe a classic fungal colony pattern – as if a colony has grown from a single spore center. But examining these samples by light microscopy in acid fuchsin and in KOH (not the optimal mountant chemicals for this purpose) as well as dry without a cover slide and using reflected as well as transmitted light did not produce good images of fungal colonization, just a few fungal spores resembling Cladosporium sphaerospermum. At left our photo illustrates preparing a large sample (triangular cut) of one of these brown stains. Further work is in process, and of course other experts have examined foxing stains using other methods including FLIR. [16] [Forensic microscopic images of these stain materials are forthcoming. – Ed.] Research reported by Arai et als established the fungal basis of foxing stains. [31][32][33][34] while more recently, Zotti et als, using FLIR, cultures, and other methods, identified Cladosporium sphaerospermum, Penicillium purpurogenum, Aspergillus melleus, Pithomyces chartarum, Aspergillus sclerotiorum as among the most common fungi associated with foxing marks or stains on paper. Those researchers found these fungal genera/species present before and after microwave treatment of foxed papers. [16] Further work by the same authors found that these biota were absent after mechanical “rubbing” of the stained areas to remove the apparent stain – which surprised me. My own preliminary work on the brown foxing stains such as those shown here suggests that at least in some cases the foxing stains involve materials that reside within the matrix of wood pulp fibers comprising the paper itself, making successful mechanical surface treatments difficult. In an earlier work the same lead author, Zotti, who along with Arai has done extensive research on foxing, noted that the while fungi and some yeasts are found in foxing marks on books and papers, the dominant genera and species appeared to be in the Penicillium group. Ten species representative of filamentous fungi genera and one yeast form were identified. Of the fungal species, the one most frequently represented was Penicillium, with 5 different strains, while for each of the other genera there was only one species. [17]

  What are the Foxing Fungi? fungi identified as growing on or in paper materials included the following

  • aspergillus sp.
  • aspergillus melleus [brown spots, microscopically visible]
  • aspergillus sclerotiorum [pale brown spots on paper, microscopically visible]
  • cladosporyum sp. [cladosporium sp. – ed.]
  • cladosporyum sphaerospermum [pale brown spots on paper]
  • penicillium sp. [at least 5 different species or strains]
  • penicillium purpurogenum [yellowish-brown spots; pale whitish spots visible microscopically]
  • pithomyces chartarum [often appearing black on surfaces, brown or dark brown spots visible microscopically]
  • ulocladium alternarie
  • yeast [species to be identified]

  how to remove & prevent foxing stains: cures for foxing on paper, books, photographs

  Preservationists and restorers of paper or books often use a variety of chemical treatments or plant extracts to try to neutralize the reddish stains associated with foxing.

  Where applicable, such as on visibly moldy books and paper, mold must first be physically removed from paper and book surfaces, typically by soft brushing, wiping, or a hepa vacuum.

  You are reading: How to remove foxing from books

  Beware: Killing mold simply means that most of the remaining mold spores, if placed in a growing medium, will not reproduce. but depending on the mold genera/species, such spores can still be harmful to humans or other animals and can retain allergenic or even toxic chemicals, such as mycotoxins found in some fungi.

  For this reason, a proper mold remediation strategy should always involve physically cleaning mold from cleanable materials and surfaces, and correcting the conditions that caused mold growth in the first place.

  see the mold removal guide for more information.

  1. gas bleaching: bleaching of foxed documents with chlorine dioxide gas, combined with deacidification [35]
  2. laser treatments for foxing : sarantopoulou et al. have explored and demonstrated the successful removal of foxing stains on paper using lasers at particular wavelengths. [27]
  3. foxing paper amendment treatments and plant extracts: tronson has developed a refined method of foxing removal that takes into account the details and condition of the own paper and uses plant extract treatments to remove iron oxide staining material, as well as additional steps to restore and preserve paper fibers, sizing and other components. [25]
  4. antifungal treatments for the prevention of foxing: art. sequeira et als have investigated and reported on the efficacy of antifungal treatments for the prevention of foxing damage in valuable books and papers. the focus is on prevention, not on the removal or cure of foxing spots. [28]
  5. Chemical Foxing Treatments: For the removal of foxing stains on paper such as stamps and other paper materials, Coleman recommended a now-obsolete procedure that used, to de increasing gravity, immersion in solutions of soda, chloramine, sodium chlorite and potassium permanganate plus oxalic acid. [26] Caution: Calvini has warned in the FAQ section of this article that procedure #5 above is outdated, dangerous, and can cause blindness. we list it here just so readers can recognize it and stay away from it.

  warnings & fixes on the causes of & treatments for foxing stains on paper

  reader comment: correcting registry foxing and foxing spot removal techniques

  1. iron oxide (ugly) has nothing to do with foxing. it represents the “flaking” of iron and is generally inactive in paper documents.
  2. perhaps the author is confusing it with iron oxyhydroxide (feooh) responsible for the “rusting”. rust can be easily detected and cannot be properly labeled as foxing.
  3. The chemical origin of foxing is believed to be due to the fact that iron ions [i.e., Fe(ii) and Fe (iii) ] catalyze the oxidation of the paper, producing the yellow-brown stains. these stains belong to the organic chemistry of cellulose and gelatin.
  4. perhaps we were not clear in our articles, but we mean that “sometimes” the (dead) bodies of fungi can be removed mechanically, which which explains its absence in several sem analyses. ftir analysis shows that fungi stained the fibers, and these stains cannot be removed mechanically.
  5. coleman’s [26] recommendations are outdated and potentially very dangerous: they should not be described in detail in the inspectionpedia, otherwise untrained people can apply them blindly as they only find this fully described receipt.

  response:

  use of microwave oven treatment for foxing in paper products

  reader question: any truth about the effectiveness of using microwave treatments for mold?

  (March 19, 2014) foxing said:

  Is there any truth to this as it sounds plausible and if it works it damages the card? – Greetings David

  answer: uses of microwave treatment on moldy books

  david

  Microwave heating is one of the techniques used by some book restorers to try to dry out and “kill” mold.

  It could then “kill” some or even all of the fungal spores, although we haven’t tested that theory.

  We would need to identify a suitable culture medium that will work with foxing-fungi (not all molds will grow in any type of culture), then do some testing with samples collected before and after treatment.

  thirdly, in my opinion, there may be some cigarette cards that could be damaged, either by their inks that could oxidize or other components such as metallic inks or foils that would or could cause a bit of excitation (sparks) in the microwave. . in the most extreme case we could even oxidize or gild the card by heat.

  still an interesting idea. If you want to continue, we can get help from the appropriate mycologists and paper restoration experts, and here at Inspectapedia we can do the lab work in our forensic lab.

  let me know if you have some low value examples we could use to test if you want to follow it more scientifically.

  research on biotic foxing and its treatments in valuable or ancient books, documents and related objects

  • Also see additional citations in the references at the bottom of this page.
  • Calvini, Paolo, Andrea Gorassini and Antonio Luigi Merlani. “On the kinetics of cellulose degradation: looking beyond the pseudozero-order rate equation”. cellulose 15, no. 2 (2008): 193-203.
  • Calvini, Paolo and Maise Silveira. “ftir analysis of naturally aged fecl3 and cucl2 doped cellulose papers”. e-preservation science 5 (2008): 1-6.
  • Calvini, Paolo, Andrea Gorassini, and Antonio Luigi Merlani. “Autocatalytic degradation of cellulose paper in sealed containers”. restaurant 28, no. 1 (2007): 47-54.
  • Calvini, Paolo, and Stefano Vassallo. “Computer-Assisted Infrared Analysis of Heterogeneous Artworks”. e-preservation science 4 (2007): 13-17.
  • Calvini, Paolo, Andrea Gorassini, Giorgio Luciano, and Enrico Franceschi. “Analysis of ftir and oxycellulose periodate waxes: evidence for a group oxidation mechanism”. vibrational spectroscopy 40, no. 2 (2006): 177-183.
  • Calvini, Paolo, Giuseppina Conio, Elisabetta Princi, Silvia Vicini, and Enrico Pedemonte. “Viscometric determination of dialdehyde content in oxycellulose periodate part II. Topochemistry of oxidation”. cellulose 13, no. 5 (2006): 571-579.
  • Calvini, Paolo, and Andrea Gorassini. “On the rate of paper degradation: lessons from the past”. restaurant 27, no. 4 (2006): 275-290.
  • Calvini, Paolo, Andrea Gorassini, and Rosanna Chiggiato. “Fourier transform infrared analysis of some Japanese articles”. restaurant 27, no. 2 (2006): 81-89.
  • Calvini, Paolo. “The influence of the level of capping of the degree of polymerization on the kinetics of cellulose degradation”. cellulose 12, no. 4 (2005): 445-447.
  • Calvini, Paolo, and Andrea Gorassini. “ftir deconvolution spectra of paper documents”. restaurant 23, no. 1 (2002): 48-66.
  • Calvini, Paolo, and Andrea Gorassini. “The degrading action of iron and copper on paper, a final deconvolution analysis”. restaurant 23, no. 4 (2002): 205-221.
  • Calvini, Paolo, and Gianni Martinelli. “Numerical processing of fourier transform infrared spectra: a powerful tool in paper analysis”. at the icom Preservation Committee, 9th Triennial Meeting, Dresden, German Democratic Republic, August 26-31, 1990: preprints, pp. 453-455. icom conservation committee, 1990.
  • cappitelli, f., and c. sorlini. “From papyrus to compact disc: the microbial deterioration of documentary heritage”. reviews in microbiology 31.1 (2005): 1-10. pinzari, flavia, et al.
  • lin, lang-dong, et al. “Modified Atmosphere and Humidity Packages for Preservation of Antique Paper”. Journal of Wood Science 53.2 (2007): 121-126.
  • Margutti, Simona, Giuseppina Conio, Paolo Calvini, and Enrico Pedemonte. “Hydrolytic and oxidative degradation of paper”. restaurant 22, no. 2 (2001): 67-83.
  • Niehus, Lena, Ute Henniges, Monika Horsky, Thomas Prohaska, Antje Potthast, and Irene Brückle. “Reducing the risks of hydrogen peroxide bleaching in the presence of iron ions in paper”. (2012): 356-394.
  • Pinzari, Flavia, Mirca Zotti, Antonella de Mico, and Paolo Calvini. “Biodegradation of inorganic components in paper documents: formation of calcium oxalate crystals as a consequence of growth of <i>aspergillus terreus</i>thom”. international biodeterioration & biodegradation 64, no. 6 (2010): 499-505.
  • porck, henk j. and Rene Teygeler. study of conservation science. council on libraries and information resources, 2001.
  • teygeler, rene. “Paper Preservation: Last 5 Advances”. Preservation Management for Libraries and Archives: Current Practice and Future Developments (2004): 83.
  • Zotti, Mirca, Alice Ferroni, and Paolo Calvini. “Inhibitory properties of simple fungistatic compounds on fungi isolated from foxing spots”. restaurant 28, no. 3 (2007): 201-217.

  other home treatments for foxing?

  • if the document or book you are concerned about is valuable, you should consult a professional paper conservator.
  • if it is not highly valuable, you can experiment with other approaches, such as sunlight or dilute bleach which a professional would remind us will damage the paper document, although it may look better for a while.

  Warning: As Calvini cites in the comments to this article, some of the older documented treatments for foxing stains on paper, photographs, books, or other similar products are outdated (no longer recommended) and dangerous.

  There has to be more, right? or is it just two?

  The ineffective or less effective ones that could do something that I know of are included in the article.

  cross contamination between books & papers?

  book storage & papers to avoid foxing

  8/25/14 zack said:

  response:

  the few remaining mold spores and moisture molecules sealed with the books will not cause a mold contamination.

  Warning: If you store wet or damp books and papers in any closed container, vacuumed or not, you can expect mold to form.

  is there a distinction between the appearance of “mold” and “mold” in books & papers?

  

  the reader thinks that mold on books is “mold”

  See Also: 25 Books About the Sun: Bright Choices for Kids Ages 4-10

  As a book collector and mycologist of yesteryear, I found your website of interest.

  The organisms involved are all fungi in the classical sense. those that attack dead organic matter such as cellulose are not so biologically different from their relatives that may have a preference for living plant and animal cells.

  I think the best way to serve your cause is to promote the idea that fungi, a diverse and highly successful breed, will exploit any environment where nutrients and moisture are available, whether they are dead or alive. books and their bindings in a high humidity environment are easy prey.

  consult our article book mold, cleaning and its section on

  mold on books? for additional details on the importance of distinguishing between mold growth on surfaces and fungal growth.

  mold does not grow on books, leather shoes, wallpaper, or other interior building surfaces, although many other mold genera/species might.

  chris, thanks for the insightful comments on book mold, mildew, hepa vacuuming, and the important role of fungi in our environment. I am grateful to read your opinion and want to emphasize that we welcome educated and informed discussion or debate on this or any other topic found on inspectapedia.com.

  a few points need clarification: I am by no means suggesting that mold is not a fungus, as mold is in fact a proper subset of the huge fungi kingdom.

  mold does not grow on shoes or paper, although many other mold genera/species can grow on these materials

  learned about the distinctive properties of mold as a living plant pathogen among other members of the fifth kingdom from dr. john haines, my friend and mentor, when john was still serving as mycologist for the state of new york.

  Like a lot of people, I just used the word mold on whatever. John asked why I thought it might be mold, he allowed me to embarrass myself and then kindly explained that mold grows on soles, not shoes.

  Maybe it’s a technicality, but mold is a subset of “mildew” that only grows on living plants. mildews are a small group of fungi found among the basidiomycota, ustilaginales if I remember correctly, and any “mildew” if correctly identified, will be either powdery mildew or erysiphus or peronosporaceae or downy mildew. mold, then, has nothing to do with it and will not be found growing on books or other building surfaces, unless the building element is a living plant or has recently lived.

  fungi identified as downy mildew include these two groups

  Below are photos of powdery mildew I picked up from a jasmine plant (bottom left) growing indoors (we took it outside before this photo was taken) along with a photo of the powdery mildew itself on that plant under my lab microscope (below).

  

  Below: Oidium or powdery mildew under the microscope in our lab.

  

  Warning: In a library of moldy books, if we were to use careless language to inform the building management that we thought the dominant mold present was just a bit of mold (e.g., powdery mildew), we would wrongly conclude that, in addition to a possible allergic response or perhaps a problem for nearby houseplants, there was no health risk to building occupants.

  but, in fact, what I find in moldy library books is typically a fungal potpourri dominated on book covers by various species of aspergillus, which is much more likely to present a health risk and the iaq for the occupants.

  Do you see mold on the books? for additional details on this distinction.

  Reader Questions and Answers – Also check out the FAQ series linked below

  on 2021-03-14 – by (mod) –

  @lynette carothers, several paper conservationists/researchers have discussed using a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (among other options or bleaching methods) to mitigate foxing on paper, and some conservationists have argued hydrogen peroxide as one of the safest methods (carter 1996) although not without some risk. but beware: the use of hydrogen peroxide (or other bleaching agents) to reduce foxing stains can also damage the paper. (Hummert 2012) Below are some quotes of interest.

  • ardelean, elena and nicoleta melniciuc-puică. “preservation of paper documents damaged by foxing”. [pdf] european journal of science and theology 9, no. 2 (2013): 117-124. retrieved 03/14/2021 original source: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1047.2238&rep=rep1&type=pdf excerpt: …foxing spot attenuation by local rubbing with a hydrogen peroxide solution, followed by a wet cleaning treatment and aqueous deacidification with a ca(oh)2 solution. available here at https://inspectapedia.com/mold/conservation-of-paper-documents-damaged-by-foxing-ardelean.pdf
  • carter, henry a. “The Chemistry of Paper Preservation: Part 2. Paper Yellowing and Preservative Bleaching”. journal of chemistry education 73, no. 11 (1996): 1068. excerpts: …hydrogen peroxide is one of the few oxidative bleaches that can be used on woody…since there is the possibility of secondary chromophores arising during peroxide bleaching. .. are very effective at removing tough stains, including mildew and foxing stains, …
  • henniges, ute, maria krämer, lars gille and irene brückle. “Calcium phytate as a pretreatment for iron-contaminated papers before bleaching with hydrogen peroxide”. Conservation Studies (2020): 1-8
  • Hofmann, Christa, Dianne van der Reyden, and Mary T. baker. “Comparison and evaluation of bleaching procedures: the effect of five bleaching methods on the optical and mechanical properties of new and aged cotton linters before and after accelerated aging”. (1991). retrieved 03/14/2021 original source: https://cool.culturalheritage.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v10/bp10-10.html also available as a pdf at https://inspectapedia.com/mold/ the-effect-of-five-methods-of-bleaching-hoffman-cool.culturalheritage.org.pdf
  • hofmann, christa, verena flamm, gerhard banik, and kurt messner. “Whitening Foxing Stains in Art Nouveau Prints”. in the proceedings of the committee for the conservation of icom, ninth triennial meeting, dresden, germany, 26-31 august 1990, pp. 472-477. icom conservation committee, 1990.
  • hofmann, christa, verena flamm, gerhard banik and k. courier “bleaching procedures for removing foxing stains from paper objects”. wiener berichte uber naturwissenschaft in der kunst 6 (1989): 346-365. Hummert, Eva, Susanne Kling, Irene Brückle, Dorothea Müller, and Julia Roller. “treating a previously whitewashed work of art on paper.” restorer international journal for the preservation of library and archival material 33, no. 3-4 (2012): 395-408. excerpt: … the risk of paper damage after bleaching as a result of bleaching with hydrogen peroxide is…
  • manso, m., s. Pesanha, f. figueira, s. valadas, a. William, M. afonso, a. c. rock, m. J. Oliveira, I. ribeiro, and m. I carvalho “Characterization of Foxing Stains in 18th- to 19th-Century Drawings Using Nondestructive Techniques”. Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 395, no. 7 (2009): 2029-2036.
  • Iiams, Thomas M. and Theodore Day Beckwith. “Notes on the causes and prevention of foxing in books”. the library quarterly 5, no. 4 (1935): 407-418. extracts: the removal of stains on paper, once they have formed, presents yet another problem… metabisulfite, potassium ferricyanide, hydrochloric acid, oxalic acid, ammonia and hydrogen peroxide can tend to … we still have to find a method to remove foxing from the books which is in…
  • malešič, jasna, meta kojc and vid simon Šelih. “Evaluation of the effect of various whitening agents on papers with foxing spots”. restorer international journal for the preservation of library and archival material 29, no. 3 (2008): 142-154. extract: hydrogen peroxide was added to an edta solution to form a 3% solution…
  • peters, dale. “An alternative to foxing, oxidative degradation as a cause of cellulosic discoloration”. [pdf] papierrestaurieung 1 (2000): 801-806. also available here at https://inspectapedia.com/mold/alternative-to-foxing-peters.pdf
  • rebrikova, natalia l. and nina v. manturovskaya. “Foxing: A New Approach to an Old Problem”. restorer international journal for library and archival material preservation 21, no. 2 (2000): 85-100. excerpt: …by molecular oxygen hydrogen peroxide and peroxide are formed…
  • shaban, nadia zaki, sawsan said darouish and taha ayman salah. “Experimental study on the cleaning of foxing stains on old paper manuscripts using natural products”. international journal of conservation science 7, no. 4 (2016).

  on 2021-03-14 by jane

  I’ve heard a lot about freezing paper to eliminate any microscopic pests. Would it be helpful to freeze photos that are foxed to prevent the foxing from getting worse? the photos I am dealing with are 100 years old and printed on a cardboard-like medium.

  on 03-14-2021 by (mod) – use freeze to treat foxing or other paper stains?

  See Also: 20 Beautiful Beach Coffee Table Books – Paulina on the road

  @jane, for fungal stains, freezing *could* have some use in preserving paper, insofar as the stains you see in your photos are due to microorganisms such as fungi, as they most fungi (mold) become inactive at low temperature. temperatures and like freezing usually also means very dry air – low humidity; but you will also see below some caveats about this approach. I’m not sure if other sources of foxing stains that are solely chemical based will respond to low temperatures, although keeping the paper dry (an effect of freezing under the right conditions) can reduce the susceptibility to staining from various sources of foxing. stains. Caution: You’ll want to make sure that – humidity is carefully controlled, even when papers or photos are removed from frozen storage – freezing and subsequent thawing will not damage materials that are stored in sub-zero temperatures. -some of the effects of freezing can damage paper materials and photographs, and can be subtle, such as changes in the thickness of the materials (michaelsen 2013) and other properties of the paper that could weaken it. (Teygeler 2004) Freezing as a paper preservation method has been widely discussed. here are some examples:

  • cappitelli, francesca and claudia sorlini. “From papyrus to compact disc: the microbial deterioration of documentary heritage”. critical reviews in microbiology 31, no. 1 (2005): 1-10.
  • choi, soyeon. “Foxing on paper: a review of the literature”. journal of the american institute for conservation 46, no. 2 (2007): 137-152.
  • Michaelsen, Astrid, Flavia Pinceri, Nicoletta Barbarbietola and Guadalupe Piñar. “Monitoring the effects of different preservation treatments on paper-infecting fungi”. international biodeterioration & biodegradation 84 (2013): 333-341. extract: freezing can also increase the porosity and thickness of organic materials…
  • michaelsen, astrid. “Fungal paper foxing and molecular tracking of preservation treatments”. doctoral thesis, uniwien, 2010.
  • teygeler, r. me. north. me. paper conservation: recent advances. [pdf] preservation management for libraries and archives: current practice and future development 89 (2004). copy at researchgate and also here at inspectapedia.com/mold/preserving-paper-recent-advances-teygeler.pdf excerpt: one of the field researchers discussed since the development of ipm in conservation is the use of extreme temperatures in control Of pests. controlled freezing has been applied in several institutions during the last 15 years. paper that has been badly damaged by water (for example, by a flood) can be treated by freeze-drying. It is a popular method to prevent mold explosion. the possible negative influences of this drying procedure have not yet received full attention. Scientists at the Danish Royal Library investigated the effects of freeze-drying on the mechanical strength and aging stability of paper. found that freeze-drying mainly influences characteristics such as moisture content, folding strength, and tear strength. it particularly affected the mechanical resistance of the paper with low initial resistance; its effect on paper with high mechanical strength was relatively small. In general, freeze-drying had more influence on the paper than air-drying. High temperature treatment has been shown to be effective in killing insects on collection materials.

  Mar 12, 2021 by lynette carothers

  please indicate if my acid and water stain treatment is suitable. for many years i have been using food grade hydrogen peroxide with a small art brush. I start in an area closer to the edge and lightly brush a small portion of the stain. dry them immediately with a natural cotton cloth. if it seems to remove the acid stain I continue, sometimes having to go over the same area several times. the process is to bring the areas as close as possible to the aged shadow of the surrounding area. I have never used the process on the colored areas of the print image. I have used a cotton cloth lightly dampened with food grade peroxide to gently clean the entire print. results have been good, especially around the edges and in some cases near the print. works especially well with Victorian news prints. I’ve been using the process for over 20 years and haven’t seen any damage to prints I’ve cleaned and then framed in the original frame or an old frame, cleaned and touched up areas of worn or chipped paint, or tackled the restoration of a wooden frame. my question is how will this affect printing in the long run. As I said, I have a partner for almost 20 years without this treatment. the process is not intended to make the print look new. it was a process that I first tried to stop further acid damage. any advice would be greatly appreciated. greetings and thanks.

  on 2019-07-27 – by (mod) –

  I don’t think the framing itself affects the foxing, unless chemicals are leaching from the frame to the paper, which would be a chemical stain anyway, not foxing. however, exposure to moist air could be a factor. Is your woodcut outdoors or under glass?

  on 2019-07-27 by theron p snell

  I bought a woodcut that has foxing spots all over the product. I intend to frame the piece. will framing affect the current foxing, either increasing it or delaying it? the paper is much bigger than block printing so I can mask something with the mat and frame. if i just cover it up, will it still affect the piece>

  on 2019-07-12 by (mod) – damage to artwork from adhesive on tape

  Judy The problem of damage to artworks from the adhesive on tape is a common illustration of in-expert mounting of works on paper, usually showing up years after the mounting was done. If the artwork is valuable enough to justify the expense, an expert paper conservator may be able to remove the adhesive and reduce the paper staining that it caused. In Atlanta you have more than one expert paper / artwork conservators. Call a couple of them for advice. Examples of paper conservators in Atlanta: Marianne Kelsey Book and Paper Conservator Professional Tel: (336) 509-0536 http://mariannekelsey.com/insurance-damaged-books-art/paper-conservation-artwork-atlanta/ McGannon Studios Specializing in Fine Art Paper Conservation 7990 Georgetown Cir Suwanee GA 30024 Phone/ 404.624.3876 mstudios@comcast.net http://www.pmcgannonstudios.com Paper department, Williamstown + Atlanta Art Conservation Center Oddly, in Ma 413-458-9545 ext 212.

  on 2019-07-11 by judy

  I have a lithograph on Japanese paper, to my dismay the art tape has bled through to the front of the artwork. i can’t find an expert on this in the atlanta area. any help would be appreciated. [photo above]

  on 01-31-2019 by (mod) – oxidation pattern in cellulosic tissue – and the result is brown spots.

  thank you gj for the interesting and meaningful comment. if you can post a photo or two (*use the add image button), it would be instructive to see some of the patterns you describe, in various materials.

  on 2019-01-31 by g j leale

  Since hemp, flax, and wood are often the main components of paper, you should look at the pattern of oxidation on the cellulosic fabric, and the result is brown spots. this is a breakdown of cellulose due to moisture over time; the resulting stain or rust mark is oxidation. this can still be seen in cheaper fabrics for example which are not treated to resist it and in floor coverings made from seaweed etc.

  on 2018-11-05 by (mod) – are fox spots a mold?

  not. but there are fungi that can grow on paper that can produce stains of almost any color, of which black, brown, yellow, green, and red are common. see definition & basic chemistry of foxing stains, but mold does occur on paper, books, and book bindings, and can be confused with foxing.

  on 2018-11-05 by marilyn

  Are foxing spots mold?

  art, book, document, photography foxing & mold items

  • aerobiology associations
  • art conservation – cultural heritage and aerobiology
  • mold contamination in works of art
  • biodeterioration agent & stains catalog
  • black light & uses of ultraviolet light
  • book mold, cleaning
    • preparing to clean books/papers
    • health hazards, moldy books
    • dust, typical library shelving contents
    • book mold cleaning for DIYers
    • magazine mold cleaning for DIYers
    • mold on the books? – no, it’s not mold.
    • book conservation resources
    • causes of rust or rust stains on paper, photos, books
    • how to examine rust stains
    • definition & basic chemistry of foxing stains
    • what are foxing stains like?
    • what are foxing fungi?
    • how to remove & prevent foxing spots
    • mold vs fungus vs foxing spots
    • mold on the books?
    • mold bugs, it’s mold
    • mold in or on the paint
    • photographs of mold
    • papaya white growth vs disease

    suggested citation for this web page

    or see this

    index of related articles: index of articles on mold contamination & remediation

    or use the search box below to ask a question or search inspectapedia

    ask a question or search inspectapedia

    Note: The appearance of your comment below may be delayed: If your comment contains an image, web link, or text that appears to be a web link to the software, your post will appear after that has been approved by a moderator. Sorry for the delay. our comment box is provided by accounting web productions accounting.ca

    See Also: Update: State Farm Ends Donations of Transgender Books to Classrooms and Libraries – But Still Supports LGBT Activism – Daily Citizen

    technical reviewers & references