Evaluation of radiation-induced decontamination of permethrin on model materials for cultural heritage

Abstract

The presence of pesticides in cultural heritage items poses significant health risks to museum professionals and others who handle contaminated objects. Therefore, alternative effective decontamination methods are essential. Ionizing radiation, particularly gamma radiation, has emerged as a promising technique for this purpose, as previous studies have demonstrated its effectiveness in degrading organic pesticides in various substrates. This study investigates the application of gamma radiation for decontaminating model materials artificially contaminated with permethrin made of cotton fabric, wood, vegetable fiber, and feather. Samples were irradiated with gamma rays with 30 kGy, under two distinct conditions: dry and moistened samples. Quantification of permethrin was performed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Gamma radiation effect was analyzed using colorimetry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Under dry conditions, permethrin removal was 93 % for the cotton sample, 66 % for the vegetal fiber, 83 % for the wood, and 16 % for the feather. In contrast, under moistened conditions, removal rates were 88 % for cotton, 57 % for vegetal fiber, 71 % for wood, and 94 % for the feather mock-ups. Results showed no significant colorimetric changes, except for the feather in a moistened condition, nor any changes in the morphological properties of the samples. These findings suggest that gamma radiation is a feasible method for decontaminating cultural heritage materials, offering a potential solution for mitigating pesticide contamination in museum collections.