FAQs on Anoxic Disinfestation

Anoxic disinfestation is a process whereby the combat against infestation by insects (one of the main causes of destruction of documents and works of art) is undertaken by asphyxia, through the use of completely innocuous gases such as nitrogen, argon or carbon dioxide.

The process is simple and is not toxic. It is based on the removal of atmospheric air and its replacement with nitrogen, argon or carbon dioxide. This method can be employed in a disinfestation chamber (an air-tight steel chamber in which the objects are placed) or in a bubble of plastic film wrapping the object (the process is extremely flexible and can be used with every kind of object, big or small).

This technique requires isolation of the documents and objects to be treated: the atmosphere inside is modified and several parameters are controlled, such as: oxygen/ carbon dioxide content, temperature, gas pressure and moisture).

Anoxic disinfestation chamber and anoxic bubble: owing to the nature of the biological cycles of the insects that attack the material of books and other substances found in the collections of libraries and in archives, the disinfestation operations have to be co-ordinated with the customer to determine the type of infestation of the documents.

Safety: the collections of museums, libraries and archives may be threatened by several pests, constituting a serious threat to their preservation. The method of pest control least prejudicial to the collections and to the personnel is carried out by means of modifying the atmosphere, an alternative to chemical control.

Anoxic disinfestation is a method that has no noxious effect on the items that are treated or on the operator. It is safe, ecological, non-toxic, non-flammable and non-chemical. It consists of wrapping the item to be treated in a special film and removing the oxygen inside. The oxygen is replaced by an inert gas, thus eradicating all insects no matter what their stage of development (egg, lava, pupa, adult, etc.).

This process is monitored by state-of-the-art equipment of extreme sensitivity and precision.

It does not modify the physical or chemical properties of the item treated, and its original form is retained, though freeing it from the action of the pests.

Preservation comprises a number of management measures designed to neutralise potential deterioration of documents” (IFLA).

It consists of a policy and strategic measures employed in the management of archives and libraries, the principal aim of which is to avoid the deterioration of the collection as a whole.
This field complements the general maintenance of the buildings, involving co-ordination with other departments.

In conservation strategy control of the environmental conditions is of particular importance. The main factors to consider are: Temperature and Relative Humidity, Lighting and Air.

“Conservation is the set of measures directed at systematic, direct intervention in respect of the documents to prevent their deterioration, without altering the physical characteristics of the support ” (in IFLA).

It consists of specialised technical measures designed to correct the physical deterioration of the materials, involving no internal intervention in the work. It includes tasks and procedures that include environmental control, pest control and collection hygiene, cleaning, storage, packing, maintenance, measures to prevent, monitor and identify pests and their activity, how to act in the event of infestation, book binding and support transfer, among others. It requires assignment of specialised human resources, specialised outsourcing, basic equipment and adequate raw materials.