Pollutant

Description

A gaseous, Aerosol, or Particulate contaminant. Pollutants are generated by natural and man-made sources, such as decomposition, abrasion, or combustion. They can deposit and interact deleteriously with museum materials. Examples of gas-phase pollutants are Ozone, Hydrogen sulfide, Sulfur dioxide, Nitrogen oxides, Formaldehyde, Formic acid, and Acetic acid. Scavengers are used to minimize the concentration of air pollutants in contained spaces.

Synonyms and Related Terms

pollutants; air pollutants; pollution

Resources and Citations

• AIC Conservation Wiki: Exhibit Technical Notes: Environmental Control

• Pam Hatchfield, Pollutants in the Museum Environment, Archetype Press, London, 2002

• A Glossary of Paper Conservation Terms, Margaret Ellis (ed.), Conservation Center of the Institute of Fine Arts, New York City, 1998

• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000

• Website: AMOL reCollections Glossary -http://amol.org.au/recollections/7/p/htm