Examining the Potential of Enzyme-Based Detergents to Remove Biofouling from Limestone Heritage

Laurenz Schroer; Geraldine Fiers; Maxim Deprez; Nico Boon; Veerle Cnudde; Lander Soens; Tim De Kock

doi:10.3390/coatings12030375

Examining the Potential of Enzyme-Based Detergents to Remove Biofouling from Limestone Heritage

Laurenz Schroer
, Geraldine Fiers
, Maxim Deprez
, Nico Boon
, Veerle Cnudde
, Lander Soens
, Tim De Kock

Ghent University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Commonwealth war cemeteries commemorate the fallen of both world wars. Every casualty is remembered with a memorial or on a headstone. However, the headstones need to be maintained extensively, as microorganisms easily colonise them, affecting legibility and the stone substrate in the longer term. In the past, pesticides and other chemicals were popular to clean headstones, but due to raised environmental concerns, new treatment strategies are necessary. Within conservation science, enzymes have emerged as a popular tool for restoration. However, studies related to the use of enzymes for stone conservation are limited. Within this preliminary study, we applied commercially available enzyme-based treatments on biofouled natural building stones in the laboratory and in situ. Photography and spectrophotometry were used to monitor the effect of the treatment. The application of enzymes resulted in rapid disintegration of biological pigments, whereas visual improvement occurred more gradually. The successful application of enzymes suggests their potential to replace pesticides as the principal cleaning agent for headstones and natural building stones in a more general fashion.

Original language	English
Article number	375
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Journal	Coatings
Volume	12
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings12030375
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Funding: Laurenz Schröer was supported by a PhD fellowship of the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO, Research Grant No.: 11D4518N and 11D4520N). Tim De Kock was a postdoctoral fellow of the FWO during part of the research and acknowledges their support. Maxim Deprez was supported by the FWO (Project G.0041.15N). Géraldine Fiers was funded by the special research fund of Ghent University (BOF-UGent, BOF16/IOP/001).

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

Biofouling
Biopigmentation
Chlorophyll
Enzymes
Headstones
Heritage conservation
Portland limestone
Spectrophotometry

Access to Document

10.3390/coatings12030375Licence: CC BY

coatings-12-00375-v2Final published version, 1.61 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

@article{929cdb24fc6b4ef3ac33d74062a7886f,

title = "Examining the Potential of Enzyme-Based Detergents to Remove Biofouling from Limestone Heritage",

abstract = "Commonwealth war cemeteries commemorate the fallen of both world wars. Every casualty is remembered with a memorial or on a headstone. However, the headstones need to be maintained extensively, as microorganisms easily colonise them, affecting legibility and the stone substrate in the longer term. In the past, pesticides and other chemicals were popular to clean headstones, but due to raised environmental concerns, new treatment strategies are necessary. Within conservation science, enzymes have emerged as a popular tool for restoration. However, studies related to the use of enzymes for stone conservation are limited. Within this preliminary study, we applied commercially available enzyme-based treatments on biofouled natural building stones in the laboratory and in situ. Photography and spectrophotometry were used to monitor the effect of the treatment. The application of enzymes resulted in rapid disintegration of biological pigments, whereas visual improvement occurred more gradually. The successful application of enzymes suggests their potential to replace pesticides as the principal cleaning agent for headstones and natural building stones in a more general fashion.",

keywords = "Biofouling, Biopigmentation, Chlorophyll, Enzymes, Headstones, Heritage conservation, Portland limestone, Spectrophotometry",

author = "Laurenz Schroer and Geraldine Fiers and Maxim Deprez and Nico Boon and Veerle Cnudde and Lander Soens and \{De Kock\}, Tim",

note = "Funding Information: Funding: Laurenz Schr{\"o}er was supported by a PhD fellowship of the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO, Research Grant No.: 11D4518N and 11D4520N). Tim De Kock was a postdoctoral fellow of the FWO during part of the research and acknowledges their support. Maxim Deprez was supported by the FWO (Project G.0041.15N). G{\'e}raldine Fiers was funded by the special research fund of Ghent University (BOF-UGent, BOF16/IOP/001). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2022",

month = mar,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3390/coatings12030375",

language = "English",

volume = "12",

pages = "1--14",

journal = "Coatings",

issn = "2079-6412",

publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",

number = "3",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Examining the Potential of Enzyme-Based Detergents to Remove Biofouling from Limestone Heritage

AU - Schroer, Laurenz

AU - Fiers, Geraldine

AU - Deprez, Maxim

AU - Boon, Nico

AU - Cnudde, Veerle

AU - Soens, Lander

AU - De Kock, Tim

N1 - Funding Information: Funding: Laurenz Schröer was supported by a PhD fellowship of the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO, Research Grant No.: 11D4518N and 11D4520N). Tim De Kock was a postdoctoral fellow of the FWO during part of the research and acknowledges their support. Maxim Deprez was supported by the FWO (Project G.0041.15N). Géraldine Fiers was funded by the special research fund of Ghent University (BOF-UGent, BOF16/IOP/001). Publisher Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2022/3/1

Y1 - 2022/3/1

N2 - Commonwealth war cemeteries commemorate the fallen of both world wars. Every casualty is remembered with a memorial or on a headstone. However, the headstones need to be maintained extensively, as microorganisms easily colonise them, affecting legibility and the stone substrate in the longer term. In the past, pesticides and other chemicals were popular to clean headstones, but due to raised environmental concerns, new treatment strategies are necessary. Within conservation science, enzymes have emerged as a popular tool for restoration. However, studies related to the use of enzymes for stone conservation are limited. Within this preliminary study, we applied commercially available enzyme-based treatments on biofouled natural building stones in the laboratory and in situ. Photography and spectrophotometry were used to monitor the effect of the treatment. The application of enzymes resulted in rapid disintegration of biological pigments, whereas visual improvement occurred more gradually. The successful application of enzymes suggests their potential to replace pesticides as the principal cleaning agent for headstones and natural building stones in a more general fashion.

AB - Commonwealth war cemeteries commemorate the fallen of both world wars. Every casualty is remembered with a memorial or on a headstone. However, the headstones need to be maintained extensively, as microorganisms easily colonise them, affecting legibility and the stone substrate in the longer term. In the past, pesticides and other chemicals were popular to clean headstones, but due to raised environmental concerns, new treatment strategies are necessary. Within conservation science, enzymes have emerged as a popular tool for restoration. However, studies related to the use of enzymes for stone conservation are limited. Within this preliminary study, we applied commercially available enzyme-based treatments on biofouled natural building stones in the laboratory and in situ. Photography and spectrophotometry were used to monitor the effect of the treatment. The application of enzymes resulted in rapid disintegration of biological pigments, whereas visual improvement occurred more gradually. The successful application of enzymes suggests their potential to replace pesticides as the principal cleaning agent for headstones and natural building stones in a more general fashion.

KW - Biofouling

KW - Biopigmentation

KW - Chlorophyll

KW - Enzymes

KW - Headstones

KW - Heritage conservation

KW - Portland limestone

KW - Spectrophotometry

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85126769464

U2 - 10.3390/coatings12030375

DO - 10.3390/coatings12030375

M3 - Article

SN - 2079-6412

VL - 12

SP - 1

EP - 14

JO - Coatings

JF - Coatings

IS - 3

M1 - 375

ER -

Examining the Potential of Enzyme-Based Detergents to Remove Biofouling from Limestone Heritage

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this