A quantitative study of acetic acid emissions from historical cellulose acetate at room conditions
Source abstract
Abstract
Abstract Historic objects made of cellulose acetate are potential sources of indoor pollution in heritage collections. As these objects degrade, volatile organic compounds, including acetic acid, are produced and emitted. High concentrations of acetic acid can increase the degradation rate of both organic and inorganic objects stored nearby. In this study, micro-invasive sampling and ion chromatography were used to quantify acetic acid emission rates from objects made of cellulose acetate, including 3D objects and photographic negatives. It was observed that some degrading objects emit acetic acid at high rates, even under standard environmental conditions (20 °C and 30% RH) that are prescribed for storage of objects made of cellulose acetate. The emission rate was found to be governed by the internal diffusion for thicker cellulose acetate objects and by the surface evaporation for thinner objects. In the diffusion-controlled mode of emission, the airflow did not accelerate acetic acid emissions. To compare the storage options for cellulose acetate objects, the emission rates of acetic acid were used as the inputs for models predicting the equilibrium acetic acid concentrations in various enclosures (archival box, surface-coated archival box, metal can, and display case). It was observed that surface-coated boxes contained higher concentrations of acetic acid than other enclosures, mainly due to their low air exchange rates and deposition velocities.
Source: crossref · Quality: baseline
Research context
OpenAlex topics: Conservation Techniques and Studies · Building materials and conservation · Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis
SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.
References (69)
Show source-provided references
1. Fenech, A. et al. Volatile aldehydes in libraries and archives. Atmos. Environ. 44, 2067–2073 (2010).10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.03.021 ↗
2. Kraševec, I., Markelj, J., Elnaggar, A. & Cigić, I. K. Indoor air pollutants and their seasonal monitoring in European museums. Herit. Sci. 12, 50 (2024).10.1186/s40494-024-01164-x ↗
3. Paolin, E. & Strlič, M. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in heritage environments and their analysis: a review. Appl. Sci. 14, 4620 (2024).10.3390/app14114620 ↗
4. Martellini, T. et al. Indoor levels of volatile organic compounds at florentine museum environments in Italy. Indoor Air 30, 900–913 (2020).10.1111/ina.12659 ↗
5. Canosa, E. & Norrehed, S. Strategies for Pollutant Monitoring in Museum Environments https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.24172.00640 (2019).10.13140/RG.2.2.24172.00640 ↗
6. Salthammer, T. Very volatile organic compounds: an understudied class of indoor air pollutants. Indoor Air 26(1), 25–38 (2016).10.1111/ina.12173 ↗
7. Kraševec, I., Menart, E., Strlič, M. & Kralj Cigić, I. Validation of passive samplers for monitoring of acetic and formic acid in museum environments. Herit. Sci. 9, 19 (2021).10.1186/s40494-021-00495-3 ↗
8. Alam, I. & Sharma, C. Degradation of paper products due to volatile organic compounds. Sci. Rep. 13, 6426 (2023).10.1038/s41598-022-23898-z ↗
9. Msallamova, S. et al. Protection of lead in an environment containing acetic acid vapour by using adsorbents and their characterization. Herit. Sci. 7, 76 (2019).10.1186/s40494-019-0317-3 ↗
10. Brokerhof A. W. & Bommel M. Deterioration of calcareous materials by acetic acid vapour: a model study. In ICOM Committee for Conservation 11th Triennial Meeting (Bridgland, J. ed.) 769–775 (James and James, 1996)
11. Grzywacz, C. M. Monitoring for Gaseous Pollutants in Museum Environments 1st edn (ed. Mark, G.) (Getty Publications, 2006).
12. British Standards Institute. BS EN 16893:2018. Conservation of Cultural Heritage. Specifications for Location, Construction and Modification of Buildings or Rooms Intended for the Storage or Use of Heritage Collections (British Standards Institute, 2018).
13. British Standards Institution. PAS 198:2012. Specification for Managing Environmental Conditions for Cultural Collections (British Standards Institution, 2012).
14. Smedemark, S. H. & Ryhl-Svendsen, M. Indoor air pollution in archives: temperature dependent emission of formic acid and acetic acid from paper. J. Pap. Conserv. 21, 22–30 (2020).10.1080/18680860.2020.1832774 ↗
15. Mitchell, G., Higgitt, C. & Gibson, L. T. Emissions from polymeric materials: characterised by thermal desorption-gas chromatography. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 107, 328–340 (2014).10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2013.12.003 ↗
16. Grzywacz, C. M. & Tennent, N. H. Pollution monitoring in storage and display cabinets: carbonyl pollutant levels in relation to artifact deterioration. Stud. Conserv. 39, 164–170 (2013).10.1179/sic.1994.39.Supplement-2.164 ↗
17. Meyer, F., Hansen, D., Knjasev, V. & Volland, G. The “Schinkel’s Legacy” Project at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin: air quality in storage cabinets—cause and effect. Restaurator 35, 81–112 (2014).
18. Tétreault, J. & Stamatopoulou, E. Determination of concentrations of acetic acid emitted from wood coatings in enclosures. Stud. Conserv 42, 141–156 (1997).10.1179/sic.1997.42.3.141 ↗
19. Stephens, C. H. & Breitung, E. M. Impact of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from acrylic double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) on metals found in cultural heritage environments. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 193, 109738 (2021).10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2021.109738 ↗
20. Curran, K., Underhill, M., Gibson, L. T. & Strlic, M. The development of a SPME-GC/MS method for the analysis of VOC emissions from historic plastic and rubber materials. Microchem. J. 124, 909–918 (2016).10.1016/j.microc.2015.08.027 ↗
21. Lattuati-Derieux, A. et al. What do plastics emit? HS-SPME-GC/MS analyses of new standard plastics and plastic objects in museum collections. J. Cult. Herit. 14, 238–247 (2013).10.1016/j.culher.2012.06.005 ↗
22. Curran, K. et al. Cross-Infection effect of polymers of historic and heritage significance on the degradation of a cellulose reference test material. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 107, 294–306 (2014).10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2013.12.019 ↗
23. Canosa E., Wiman S., Norrehed S. & Hacke M. Characterization of Emissions from Display Case Materials https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.22913.71524 (2019).10.13140/RG.2.2.22913.71524 ↗
24. Hodgkins, R. E., Grzywacz, C. M. & Garrell, R. L. An improved ion chromatography method for analysis of acetic and formic acid vapours. e-Preservation Sci. 8, 74–80 (2011).
25. Kontozova-Deutsch, V. et al. Optimization of the ion chromatographic quantification of airborne fluoride, acetate and formate in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Talanta 86, 372–376 (2011).10.1016/j.talanta.2011.09.030 ↗
26. Gibson, L. T. & Watt, C. Acetic and formic acids emitted from wood samples and their effect on selected materials in museum. Corros. Sci. 52, 172–178 (2010).10.1016/j.corsci.2009.08.054 ↗
27. Schieweck, A. & Salthammer, T. Emissions from construction and decoration materials for museum showcases. Stud. Conserv 54, 218–235 (2009).10.1179/sic.2009.54.4.218 ↗
28. Risholm-Sundman, M., Lundgren, M., Vestin, E. & Herder, P. Emissions of acetic acid and other volatile organic compounds from different species of solid wood. Holz als Roh-und Werkstolt 56, 125–129 (1998).10.1007/s001070050282 ↗
29. Littlejohn, D., Pethrick, R. A., Quye, A. & Ballany, J. M. Investigation of the degradation of cellulose acetate museum artefacts. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 98, 416–424 (2013).10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2012.08.023 ↗
30. Liu, L., Gong, D., Bratasz, L., Zhu, Z. & Wang, C. Degradation markers and plasticizer loss of cellulose acetate films during ageing. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 168, 108952 (2019).10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2019.108952 ↗
31. Curran, K. et al. Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from plastic materials used for storing and displaying heritage objects. In ICOM-CC 18th Triennial Conference Preprints 1–9 (ed. Bridgland, J.) (2017).
32. Ramalho, O., Dupont, A.-L., Egasse, C., Lattuati-Derieux, A. & Lattuati, A. Emission rates of volatile organic compounds from paper. e-Preservation Sci. 6, 53–59 (2009).
33. Luiz, J., Júnior, P., Ligterink, F. J. & Van Bommel, M. Non-destructive determination of acetic acid and furfural in books by solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Restaurator 32, 110–134 (2011).
34. Pénichon, S., Jürgens, M., Murray, A., Penichon, S. & Jurgens, M. Light and dark stability of laminated and face-mounted photographs: a preliminary investigation. Stud. Conserv. 47, 154–159 (2014).10.1179/sic.2002.47.s3.032 ↗
35. Smedemark, S. H., Ryhl-Svendsen, M. & Schieweck, A. Quantification of formic acid and acetic acid emissions from heritage collections under indoor room conditions. Part I: Laboratory and field measurements. Herit. Sci. 8, 58 (2020).10.1186/s40494-020-00404-0 ↗
36. Grøntoft, T. et al. VOC emissions from canvas and acetic acid deposition to canvas and glass. e-Preserv. Sci. 11, 22–28 (2014).
37. Ahmad, I. R. et al. Are we overestimating the permanence of cellulose triacetate cinematographic films? A mathematical model for the vinegar syndrome. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 172, 109050 (2020).10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2019.109050 ↗
38. Allen, N. S. et al. Degradation of cellulose triacetate cinematographic film: prediction of archival life. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 23, 43–50 (1988).10.1016/0141-3910(89)90067-0 ↗
39. Da Ros, S. et al. Characterising plasticised cellulose acetate-based historic artefacts by NMR spectroscopy: a new approach for quantifying the degree of substitution and diethyl phthalate contents. Polym. Degrad. Stab. 183, 109420 (2021).10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2020.109420 ↗
40. del Gaudio, I. et al. Water sorption and diffusion in cellulose acetate: the effect of plasticisers. Carbohydr. Polym. 267, 118185 (2021).10.1016/j.carbpol.2021.118185 ↗
41. Takahashi, K., Sasaki, M., Hayakawa, H., Yajima, H. & Oda, Y. Composition of the white precipitate formed on the surface of damaged triacetyl cellulose-based motion picture films. Sci. Rep. 11, 1502 (2021).10.1038/s41598-020-80498-5 ↗
42. Kemper, B. & Herm, C. Transparent figures: researching and preserving objects of cellulose acetate. Polymers (Basel) 15, 2838 (2023).10.3390/polym15132838 ↗
43. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA 1603—Sampling and Analytical Methods: Acetic Acid (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 1993).
44. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA PV2119—Acetic Acid (Occupational Safety and Health Administration, 2003).
45. International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use. ICH Harmonised Guideline: Validation of Analytical Procedures Q2(R2) (International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, 2022).
46. Thickett D. Specifying air exchange rates for showcases. In Chemical Interactions between Cultural Artefacts and Indoor Environment 1st edn (eds Adriaens, M., Bioletti, S. & Rabin, I.) 25–48 (Acco, 2018).
47. Novak, M. et al. Evaluation and modelling of the environmental performance of archival boxes, part 1: material and environmental assessment. Herit. Sci. 12, 24. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-024-01137-0 (2024).10.1186/s40494-024-01137-0 ↗
48. Grøntoft, T. Performance evaluation for museum enclosures. measurement, modelling and mitigation of pollutant impact on objects in museum enclosures. e-Preserv. Sci. 9, 36–46 (2012).
49. Grøntoft, T. Derivation of a model for the calculation of impact loads of air pollutants to paintings in microclimate frames. e-Preserv. Sci. 7, 132–140 (2010).
50. Fei, P., Liao, L., Cheng, B. & Song, J. Quantitative analysis of cellulose acetate with a high degree of substitution by FTIR and its application. Anal. Methods 9, 6194–6201. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7AY02165H (2017).10.1039/C7AY02165H ↗
51. Carter, E. A., Swarbrick, B., Harrison, T. M. & Ronai, L. Rapid identification of cellulose nitrate and cellulose acetate film in historic photograph collections. Herit. Sci. 8, 51. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-020-00395-y (2020).10.1186/s40494-020-00395-y ↗
52. Nunes, S. et al. A diagnostic tool for assessing the conservation condition of cellulose nitrate and acetate in heritage collections: quantifying the degree of substitution by infrared spectroscopy. Herit. Sci. 8, 33 (2020).10.1186/s40494-020-00373-4 ↗
53. Allen, N. S. et al. Acid-catalysed degradation of historic cellulose triacetate, cinematographic film: influence of various film parameters. Eur. Polym. J. 24, 707–712 (1988).10.1016/0014-3057(88)90002-X ↗
54. Ryhl-Svendsen, M. & Glastrup, J. Acetic acid and formic acid concentrations in the museum environment measured by SPME-GC/MS. Atmos. Environ. 36, 3909–3916 (2002).10.1016/S1352-2310(02)00335-7 ↗
55. Rijavec, T., Strlič, M. & Cigić, I. K. Plastics in heritage collections: poly(vinyl chloride) degradation and characterization. Acta Chim. Slov. 67, 993–1013 (2020).10.17344/acsi.2020.6479 ↗
56. Ligterink, F. & Di Pietro, G. The limited impact of acetic acid in archives and libraries. Herit. Sci. 6, 59 (2018).10.1186/s40494-018-0225-y ↗
57. Yang, X., Chen, Q., Zeng, J., Zhang, J. & Shaw, C. A mass transfer model for simulating volatile organic compound emissions from “wet” coating materials applied to absorptive substrates. Int. J. Heat. Mass Transf. 44, 1803–1815 (2001).10.1016/S0017-9310(00)00227-1 ↗
58. Zhang, Y., Xiong, J., Mo, J., Gong, M. & Cao, J. Understanding and controlling airborne organic compounds in the indoor environment: mass transfer analysis and applications. Indoor Air 26, 39–60 (2016).10.1111/ina.12198 ↗
59. Zhou, S., Liu, H., Ding, Y. & Wu, Y. The effects of temperature and humidity on the VOC emission rate from dry building materials. IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng. 609, 042001 (2019).10.1088/1757-899X/609/4/042001 ↗
60. Wei, W., Mandin, C. & Ramalho, O. Influence of indoor environmental factors on mass transfer parameters and concentrations of semi-volatile organic compounds. Chemosphere 195, 223–235 (2018).10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.12.072 ↗
61. Liu, Y., Zhou, X., Wang, D., Song, C. & Liu, J. A diffusivity model for predicting VOC diffusion in porous building materials based on fractal theory. J. Hazard Mater. 299, 685–695 (2015).10.1016/j.jhazmat.2015.08.002 ↗
62. Suzuki, N. et al. Concentrations of formic acid, acetic acid, and ammonia in newly constructed houses. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 17, https://doi.org/10.3390/IJERPH17061940 (2020).10.3390/IJERPH17061940 ↗
63. Thickett D., Fletcher P., Calver A. & Lambarth S. The effect of air tightness on RH buffering and control. In Museum Microclimates (eds Padfield, T. & Borchersen, K.) 245–251 (National Museum of Denmark, 2007).
64. Kompatscher, K. et al. Experimental and numerical analysis of a novel display case design: case study of the renovated Anne Frank House. Stud. Conserv. 65, 262–284 (2020).10.1080/00393630.2019.1703401 ↗
65. Nishimura, D. Inside strategies for the storage of cellulose acetate film. AIC N. 40, 1–5 (2015).
66. Rhyl-Svendsen, M. Pollution in the photographic archive—a practical approach to the problem. In IADA Congress 1999 Preprints (eds Koch, S. & Jonas, P.) 211–215 (1999)10.1055/s-2008-1034702 ↗
67. Yadav, N. & Hakkarainen, M. Degradable or not? Cellulose acetate as a model for complicated interplay between structure, environment and degradation. Chemosphere 265, 128731 (2021).10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.128731 ↗
68. Smedemark, S. H., Ryhl-Svendsen, M. & Toftum, J. Removal of organic acids from indoor air in museum storage rooms by active and passive sorption techniques. Stud. Conserv 65, 251–261 (2020).10.1080/00393630.2020.1754057 ↗
69. Dedecker, K. et al. Metal-organic frameworks for cultural heritage preservation: the case of acetic acid removal. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 10, 13886–13894 (2018).10.1021/acsami.8b02930 ↗