EN
The article deals with the elimination of insects in monuments, and the structural strengthening of the porous material whic constitutes the base of the monuments. This procedure is conducted with the assistance of monomers and gamma f a c tion The author reviews the over thirty-years old literature on the subject and refers to his own experiences. The text is divided into five parts: 1) the extermination of insects which damage monuments, 2) the extermination of harmful fungi and bacteria, 3) the polymerization of monomers (the structural strengthening of wood and stone); . 4) the impact of gamma rays on substances which constitute the material of them monuments: 5) the presentation of sources of radiation, equipment used in the world and the existing technical possibilities for the application of radiation in order to protect monuments in Poland. 1 ) The experiences of the author have been concentrated primarily on the extermination of a number of species of insects which attack wood, paper, fur and zoological museum collections. The sensitivity of the insects to gamma radiation depends on the species, stage of development, dose of radiation, temperature and other circumstances. Recent publications contain the opinions of two schools of the extermination of insects which cause technical damage to wood: the French-Czech school recommends doses of 0,25-0,b kuy, and the German school (based on experiences with Anodium punctatum) advises a dose of 3 kGy. Since particular species of insects can reveal a greatly varying resistance to gamma radiatiom each one should be treated separately, with a suitably selected dosage On the one hand, this procedure makes it possible to obtain the required effect, and, on the other hand, to avoid excessive radiation of the monument. Representatives of the Anobiidae, Ptinidae and Dermestidae families are regarded as the most resilient. The sensitivity of the insects depends on the radiation dose (tig. 2) and the stage of development (fig. 3). It decreases together with the development of the insects, but doses which make possible a speedy extermination of the larvae also considerably weaken the vitality of adult specimen. The rate of destruction of insects radiated with doses which are fatal for the given species depends also on the temperature in which they develop. The article should be treated as an introductory outline which illustrates certain problems and ushers in a series of detai e publications. The author continues his experiments on the extermination of a number of species of insects which attack monuments, and would willingly embark upon cooperation with institutions and persons interested in this problem. 2) The elimination of soft rot fungi calls for greater doses. Also in the case particular species reveal differing sensitivity. The doses can be considerably lowered by raising the temperature of the surrounding environment, as in the case of - isects. Moulds and bacteria demand larger doses of radiation (10-18 kGy). 3) Still greater doses are required by the polymerization of substances used for the structural strengthening of wood (Metycrylan of methyl, styrone, and acetate of vinyl) - from 20-30 kGy. 4) Until now it has not been discovered whether gamma radiation, in doses indispensable for a rapid liquidation of insects or the polymerization of resins, produces detectable effects in monuments subject to this treatment. For example, a decline in the mechanical properties of wood, and a changed appearance of that material (according to research conducted by authors of other publications) occurs following doses of 1 000 kGy. The sole exception is glass (fig. 7) although, at least up to a certain dose, alternations caused by radiation are reversible. Nonetheless, glass should be removed from the radiated objects. 5) The application of the source of radiation and the technical solutions are described upon the example of Germany and Czechoslovakia. At the moment, the conservation of relatively small monuments (3-4 metres long) in Poland is made possible with the use of the ionization chamber of the Interdepartmental Institute of Radiation Techniques in the Lodz Polytechnic. The source of radiation here is 60Co. In the case of all types of sources and technical solutions, a definite problem is presented by the lack of uniformity of the obtained radiation field. Various conservation operations are illustrated by examples of undertakings conducted in France, Greece, Czechoslovakia and Germany.