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books, manuscripts and other works of art will be preserved slowing deterioration thanks to the Spanish science

The (CSIC) National Research Council has developed the first device capable of measuring the pH of the air to preserve works of art

cultural goods, such as paintings, books, manuscripts are now less threatened by external aggression such as light and air pollutants that can damage them permanently. El Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC) has developed the first device able to measure the acidity of the air simply and cost, which will alert to potential cases of harmful exposure to the works of cultural heritage.

is a sensor that reacts with pollutants and other airborne particles and changes color depending on its concentration, so that "any unskilled user could monitor the environmental pH by the naked eye "a chromatic scale previously defined, said one of the researchers responsible for the project CSIC, María Angeles Villegas. A normal pH, the device turns pink color loses its color as acidity increases to turn yellow. The color yellow is a symptom of damaged books. By contrast, when the acidic contents of the environment decreases, the sensor surface becomes violet.

Old books to be cataloged under the sensor developed by the CSIC

addition, the team has developed a telemetry system capable of transforming optical signal recorded by the sensor into an electrical signal. In this way, information can be transmitted and stored in a computer. "The process of deterioration of the assets of historic and cultural heritage has been an alarmingly accelerated in the last century," warns Villegas. / RedacciónIberarte / LIVDUCA

According to the researcher, one reason may be the increase of emissions from engines, heating and power plants, among other activities. These processes cause the release into the atmosphere of sulfur dioxide that in the presence of humidity produced a phenomenon known as acid rain. The volume is usually generated fails to precipitate, so it remains inthe atmosphere as environmental acidity.

To test the effectiveness of the sensor developed by the CSIC, the team previously validated in a number of heritage buildings built as Milanów Royal Palace in Warsaw (Poland), the documentary of the Library Tomás Navarro Tomás de Madrid and Real Crystal Glass Factory and the Royal Site of San Ildefonso (Segovia). "One of the most influential factor is the humidity, that an increase in the presence of pollutants from acidic properties results in compounds that reduce the pH causing a more acidic environment," said Villegas. According to CSIC researcher, "this is detrimental to the proper conservation of properties heritage, both outdoors and indoors. "