What effect does exposure to indoor air pollutants have on a museum’s collections?
Indoor air pollution is a complex area of study. Pollutants work in combination with other factors, such as temperature, relative humidity (RH) and light to cause deterioration. The museum environment poses a particular challenge because objects are often exhibited or stored in microenvironments, such as display cases or storage units. If the enclosure were made of a pollution emitting material, it would create a microenvironment in which the pollutants would remain confined with the objects. There are many measures that the Museum takes to eliminate this hazard. This section will define indoor air pollutants found within a museum environment, identify the likely origins of the pollutant and illustrate what a museum may do to reduce the presence of a pollutant.
