Certain heritage objects, often made of stone, spend their entire existence outside, exposed to microorganisms which slowly degrade the objects over time. One team in Portugal has been developing an antimicrobial treatment, which is much safer and more environmentally friendly than most options on the market today. The secret ingredient? Using chitosan-based coatings to slow the growth of microorganisms.

Go to iiconservation.org to read more and see the poster in the Special Congress Poster Issue of “News in Conservation” Issue 97, August-September 2023, p. 16-19