MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS IN INDIAN MUSEUMS

Prof. (Dr.) Achal Pandya, Head Conservation Department, Indira Gandhi National Center of Art, Dr. Swayam Prakash Tripathi Project Associate (Conservation) Indira Gandhi National Center of Art (IGNCA), New Delhi

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Environmental monitoring can be stated as “Actions to minimize the risk of damage to and deterioration of the collection”. Indoor air quality is one of the main causes of damage to museum exhibits. Given that the items of great value displayed in museums and other historical monument buildings are old and very delicate, some are in a poor state of conservation and cannot be cleaned on a regular basis. Conservation treatments are also extremely delicate to apply due to the need for authenticity of the exhibits. This has attracted the attention of researchers over time have monitored the interior microclimate of museums in order to preserve the exhibits as best as possible. In addition to the potential negative effects on the integrity of the exhibits, poor air quality inside museums can also affect human health. The most concerned are employees and restorers who work for a long time in the indoor environment, but also museum visitors. These are the main reasons why, in order to stop the process of their deterioration, preventive conservation is recommended, by means of monitoring, assessment, and control of indoor environmental parameters. The variables which influence the indoor microclimate, therefore requiring close monitoring, are the physical variables air temperature and relative humidity (RH). Too much seasonal or daily variation of the two indicators can lead over time to the irreversible deterioration of the items that make up the cultural heritage. To avoid this, temperature and RH values should be maintained as much as possible in a recommended range.