Influence of Moisture in Museum Rooms on the State of Microbial Contamination of the Air and Decoration Surfaces: The Example of a 17th Century Monument in the Museum of King John III’s Palace at Wilanow (Warsaw, Poland)

Abstract

This article is a case study of museum premises at the Museum of King John III’s Palace at Wilanow (Warsaw, Poland), wetted as a result of a failure of the water supply system to the air conditioning unit located in the attic of the building. As a result of flooding, discoloration and cracks appeared on the plaster and stucco decoration of the ceiling, located mainly in the central part of the ceiling of the King’s Library. The paintings (plafonds) mounted on the ceiling of this room also became damp. The article analyzes the microbiological contamination of air and damp paintings in the context of promptly proceeding with the drying of damp building partitions. The obtained results of microbiological air pollution in the flooded rooms were significantly lower than the permissible values recommended by Interdepartmental Commission for Maximum Admissible Concentrations and Intensities for Agents Harmful to Health in the Working Environment. In the King’s Library, i.e., the room with the dampest plaster and stucco as a result of the accident, the concentration of mold spores in the air was only 15 cfu/m3. This means that the immediate commencement of intensive drying of the building partitions (walls, ceilings with wooden floors) brought very good results. The rapid reduction in the moisture of the building partitions contributed to the worsening conditions for the development of microorganisms, which can have an adverse effect on wooden building partitions, plaster, stucco, etc.