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Microscopy and Microanalysis of an Extreme Case of Salt and Biodegradation in 17th Century Wall Paintings

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 July 2015

Milene Gil ,
Maria Rosário Martins ,
Maria Luisa Carvalho ,
Cátia Souto ,
Stephane Longelin ,
Ana Cardoso ,
José Mirão  and
António Estevão Candeias
Milene Gil*
Affiliation:
Laboratório HERCULES, Universidade de Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal Departamento de Quimica e Escola da Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Rua Romão ramalho 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal Centro de Física Atómica, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
Maria Rosário Martins
Affiliation:
Laboratório HERCULES, Universidade de Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal Departamento de Quimica e Escola da Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Rua Romão ramalho 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal ICCAM-Instituto de Ciências Agrárias e Mediterrânicas, Universidade de Évora, Apartado 94, 6006-554 Évora, Portugal
Maria Luisa Carvalho
Affiliation:
Centro de Física Atómica, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal Departamento de Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal
Cátia Souto
Affiliation:
Laboratório HERCULES, Universidade de Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
Stephane Longelin
Affiliation:
Centro de Física Atómica, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisboa, Portugal
Ana Cardoso
Affiliation:
Laboratório HERCULES, Universidade de Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal
José Mirão
Affiliation:
Laboratório HERCULES, Universidade de Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal Évora Geophysics Centre and Geosciences Department, Évora University, Rua Romão Ramalho 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
António Estevão Candeias
Affiliation:
Laboratório HERCULES, Universidade de Évora, Largo Marquês de Marialva 8, 7000-809 Évora, Portugal Departamento de Quimica e Escola da Ciência e Tecnologia, Universidade de Évora, Rua Romão ramalho 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
*
*Corresponding author. milenegil@gmail.com
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Abstract

The present study characterizes the main deterioration mechanisms affecting the early 17th frescoes of Casa de Fresco, the only known example in Portugal of a semi-underground leisure room richly decorated with a balcony over a water well. Frescoes from the vault are at risk due to salt weathering and biodeterioration. The aim of the research was identification of the deterioration materials, determination of their origin, and their effect on the frescoes before future intervention. Scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersive X-ray detector (SEM-EDS) was used to determine salt morphology and microanalysis. The mineralogical characterization was performed by X-ray powder diffraction, complemented with µ-Raman and µ-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Biological assessment was evaluated with optical microscopy and SEM-EDS. Bacterial and fungal isolation and identification were performed using standard culture media and methods according to Bergey’s Manual of Systematic Bacteriology and from the Compendium of Soil Fungi. The results show that Ca and Ca-Mg carbonates from the paint renderings are the predominant salt species affecting the site. Bacterial strains from the genera Bacillus and Pseudomonas and fungal strains from the Cladosporium spp. and Penicillium spp. were isolated in the salt formations, within and between the mortar layers. Azurite, malachite, and smalt paint layers are the most affected by the weathering conditions.

Keywords

mural paintingsaltsbiodegradationSEM-EDSXRD
Type
Materials Applications
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 21 , Issue 3 , June 2015 , pp. 606 - 616
Copyright
© Microscopy Society of America 2015 

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