Showing papers by "Patricia Sanmartín published in 2018"

Melding the Old with the New: Trends in Methods Used to Identify, Monitor, and Control Microorganisms on Cultural Heritage Materials.

Abstract: Microbial activity has an important impact on the maintenance of cultural heritage materials, owing to the key role of microorganisms in many deterioration processes. In order to minimize such deleterious effects, there is a need to fine-tune methods that detect and characterize microorganisms. Trends in microbiology indicate that this need can be met by incorporating modern techniques. All of the methods considered in this review paper are employed in the identification, surveillance, and control of microorganisms, and they have two points in common: They are currently used in microbial ecology (only literature from 2009 to 2015 is included), and they are often applied in the cultural heritage sector. More than 75 peer-reviewed journal articles addressing three different approaches were considered: molecular, sensory and morphological, and biocontrol methods. The goal of this review is to highlight the usefulness of the traditional as well as the modern methods. The general theme in the literature cited suggests using an integrated approach.

Exposure to artificial daylight or UV irradiation (A, B or C) prior to chemical cleaning: an effective combination for removing phototrophs from granite.

Abstract: This study evaluated whether exposing samples of granite colonized by a natural biofilm to artificial daylight or UV-A/B/C irradiation for 48 h enhanced removal of the biofilm with a chemical produ...

Using Hyperspectral Imaging to Quantify Phototrophic Biofilms on Granite

Abstract: This paper reports a non-invasive method for in situ biofilm quantification based on the use of hyperspectral imaging to analyze a chromatically and texturally heterogeneous substrate as granite colonized by green algae and cyanobacteria. Biofilm-forming microorganisms were inoculated on granite blocks and incubated under laboratory conditions for 21 days. The intensity of the green stains formed on the granite surfaces differed depending on the initial concentration of microorganisms used. A biofilm quantification (BQ) index was computed to determine the level of colonization on the surfaces. The index was obtained by comparing the quotient of the reflectance of the green (G) and red (R) bands of each pixel of the hyperimage against a threshold value, fth. The optimal value of the threshold was determined by examining the linear correlation between the BQ index and the chlorophyll a extracted. The BQ results were then compared with the F0 and ΔE*ab parameters yielded by colour spectrophotometry and PAM fluorometry techniques and used as reference methodologies to quantify greening on stone surfaces. The BQ index showed a high level of consistency with all of the other parameters; it was linearly correlated with the chlorophyll a concentration, F0 andΔE*ab, with high coefficients of determination (r2 > 0.92) for the range from 1.87 to 5.69 µg chl a.cm-2. The strength of the BQ index lies in its double use as a biomarker of quantity and percentage cover, as well as its good performance under different conditions, ranging from initial phototrophic colonization and thin (young) biofilms covering 21.19% of the surface to profuse biological colonization covering 67.36% of the surface. Moreover, the proposed BQ index may be able to be used with other types of rock with less heterogeneous surfaces than granite.

Antimicrobial properties of nanomaterials used to control microbial colonization of stone substrata

Abstract: Nanoparticle-based materials are applied in the conservation of cultural heritage for their consolidating and self-cleaning abilities. Recently, nanoparticles (NPs) have been found to possess inherent antimicrobial activity, which has stimulated their application in the control of microbial colonization of stone and other mineral materials. A literature survey shows diverse testing procedures and limited research on the antimicrobial effectiveness of nanomaterials under real conditions. Most research reports laboratory-scale studies, employing either mono- or dual species (two organisms) assays over short-term incubation of days or weeks. Antimicrobial effectiveness is often assessed using microbiological, microscopy-based methods and surface colorimetry. There is a potential adverse ecotoxicological impact of NPs after release from treated surfaces. This chapter covers the antimicrobial properties of NPs and their limitations and advantages for application on built cultural heritage.

Shaping colour changes in a biofilm-forming cyanobacterium by modifying the culture conditions

Abstract: Cyanobacteria, pioneering microorganisms that create a conditioning layer on substrates and act as a source of nutrients for successive colonization by heterotrophic microbes, are commonly studied in relation to the microbial ecology of stones in indoor and outdoor habitats. They are well known for producing greenish-yellow, bluish-green or occasionally pink or pinkish-orange discolouration of surfaces. Such discolouration may be desirable for integrating new elements in landscapes and could be achieved by inoculating surfaces with cyanobacteria of a specific colour. In the present study, with the aim of producing cultures of perceptibly different hues, we modelled the colourimetric response of the biofilm-forming cyanobacterium Nostoc sp. PCC 9104 to variations in light intensity (L) and the concentrations of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N). The model obtained, which was validated from both mathematical and perceptual perspectives, enables production of cultures of a particular hue, within a range of 18° and with an efficacy of 92%. Coloured cultures of hue between 129° and 147°, corresponding to yellowish-green to bluish-green tones, were obtained by modifying nutrients inputs and the amount of light, without the need to resort to genetic manipulation.

Secondary bioreceptivity of granite: effect of salt weathering on subaerial biofilm growth

Abstract: Salt crystallisation is a very common and powerful weathering agent that can modify the petrophysical properties of building stone such as granite. In addition, the weathering can affect the susceptibility of the stone to biological colonisation. The aims of the present study were to examine the properties of a granite weathered by sodium chloride crystallisation and to evaluate the effects of the weathering on the secondary bioreceptivity of the stone to subaerial phototrophic biofilms. For this purpose, granite samples were subjected to a laboratory-based accelerated salt weathering test, and changes in weight, open porosity, bulk density, capillary water content, abrasion pH and surface roughness of the samples were determined. Samples of both weathered and non-weathered granite were then inoculated with a multi-species phototrophic culture derived from a natural subaerial biofilm and incubated under standardised laboratory conditions for 3 months. The weight loss produced by the weathering process was consistent with significant changes in abrasion pH and surface roughness. The bioreceptivity of the stone was also altered. According to the bioreceptivity index, the granite under study was characterised by ‘mild primary bioreceptivity’, but ‘high secondary bioreceptivity’ after the salt weathering process. Study of the secondary bioreceptivity of stone materials can provide very useful information about response to weathering effects, and the findings can be used to improve the selection of materials for building purposes.