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Baseri S. (2025). The Biodeterioration Process of Cultural-Historical Textiles and the Effect of Nanomaterials in their Conservation. Parseh J. Archaeol. Stud.. 8(30), 391-412. doi:10.61882/PJAS.8.30.391
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/mbp/article-1-933-en.html

Abstract
Many important materials throughout the world are composed of a variety of textiles, which are stored and presented in museum collections, galleries, and libraries. These textiles are one of the most important elements of cultural heritage and interpret essential objects that document the past human life, artistic creations, international trade, agricultural development, technological developments, and their cultural and social values.  As a result, it is necessary to study and apply suitable methods to protect and conserve these kinds of unique heritage textiles for our future generations. The method of conservation of these cultural-historical textiles is one of the most versatile branches of conservation and depends on various parameters. A number of bio-deterioration of cultural-historical textiles and also the disadvantages of conservation methods on these objects, human health and the environment, show the need for evaluating the bio-degradation mechanism of different microorganisms on these kinds of textiles and the use of latest methods for their conservation. In this way, the present work aims to investigate how cultural-historical textiles have been degraded, as well as the latest conservation methods. To achieve the purpose of the research, the qualitative content analysis method was used. The main research questions are what is the mechanism of biodegradability process of textiles? What is the importance of nano technologies in the protection of historical textiles? The results showed that one of the newest and most effective methods of protecting cultural-historical textiles against erosion caused by biological factors is the use of nanomaterials. These panicles have been intensively studied for various textile applications and demonstrated to provide multi-functional performance such as self-cleaning, release of dirty, protection against ultraviolet rays, antimicrobial properties, long-lasting, and multi-functional performance without compromising the intrinsic properties of the textile, which can be utilized to protect the cultural-historical textiles and slow down their degradation processes.
Keywords: Museum, Cultural-Historical Textiles, Conservation, Microorganisms, Nanomaterials.

Introduction
Since prehistoric times and in all cultures, textiles have played an important role in the traditions and life. They have been considered one of the most important elements of cultural heritage that in different periods of a country history have usually been a number of antique textiles, such as decorative and artistic fabrics, clothing, carpets, tapestries, ecclesiastical vestments, woman’s belts, bags, and paintings. They are mainly obtained from tombs, archaeological excavations, mansions, crypts, sunken ships, and churches. Although, these valuable textile artefacts interpret essential objects that document the past human life, artistic creations, international trade, agricultural development, technological developments, and their cultural and social values but they are considered to be degradable materials due to a combination of various pollutions, biological, physical, environmental, and chemical parameters. The challenge has been to develop effective strategies for the conservation of these cultural-historical textiles, considering the strategies depend on several factors such as storage conditions, textile ages, the chemical types of their fibers and also their history period of use. There are different chemical and physical methods to protect from the historical textiles (Gutarowska 2017: 2388-2406; Karbowska 2011: 223; Sequeira 2012:  67; Valentin 1999: 85; Wirtanen 2003: 293). Nowadays, nanomaterials and technologies are becoming more important than the physical and chemical methods due to their multi-functional performance such as self-cleaning, release of dirty, protection against ultraviolet rays, antimicrobial properties, long-lasting, and also due to their multi-functional performance without compromising the intrinsic properties of the textile, which improves the conservation process of cultural- historical textiles and slow down their degradation processes (Lite et al., 2022: 610; Gutarowska 2014: 277; Lite et al., 2022: 609; Zambrano et al., 2020: 9817; Syafiuddin 2019: 794).
Following this tendency, there are several worldwide studies available on this regard but very limited studies have been done in Iran. These studies have been mainly investigated the effects of optimal environmental conditions, the atmospheric pollutants, and ultraviolet rays on the conservation process of textiles (Kianoush 2008; Samanian and Bahmani 2018; Hamzovi 2019). This is in while; the majority of Iranian studies have various drawbacks in terms of evaluating the bio-degradation mechanism of different microorganisms on the historical textiles and the use of latest methods for their conservation. In this regard, the present study attempts to disclose how cultural-historical textiles have been degraded, as well as the latest conservation methods by using descriptive and analytical method and also based on library information. 

Discussion 
The term biodegradation is defined as an irreversible process leading to a significant change of the material properties by the action of vital activities of microorganisms (through enzymatic or metabolic action)، (Zambrano et al., 2020: 9789). This biodegradation of organic compounds frequently causes the conversion of many of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur components in the primary molecules to the inorganic products and also creates of new cell material. In general, stages of biodegradability of materials can be expressed in the following (Fig. 1)، (Nofal 2022: 5-6):
A) Primary stage: Substance chemical structure alteration resulting in substance removal of a definite property.
B) Environmentally acceptable stage: The biodegrading process to the extent of elimination of specific unacceptable compounds properties. This process is similar to the primary biodegradation approach, and it depends on the environmental conditions.
C) Ultimate is full compound decomposition or breakdown into simple molecules fully reduced or oxidized (such as CO2/methane, nitrate/NH4+, and H2O). 
The textile biodegradation process depends on the composition of the findings and the storage conditions and can occur slowly or quickly in the three following stages: 1) bio-deterioration and bio-fragmentation, 2) assimilation, and 3) Mineralization. (Lite et al., 2022: 608). Microorganisms digest the organic products of plastic degradation under aerobic or anaerobic conditions (Zambrano et al., 2020: 9790). The process of decomposing organic matter in the existence of oxygen is called aerobic bio-degradation. Anaerobic respiration is the practice of decomposing compounds by the action of microorganisms in oxygen absence and bacteria and fungi use the acceptor of an electron other than O2 as a chemical entitle (Nofal 2022: 7). 
Nanotechnology is revolutionizing materials science in a pervasive way, in a manner similar to polymer chemistry’s revolution of materials science over the preceding century. The continuous development of novel nanoparticle-based materials and the study of physicochemical phenomena at the nanoscale are creating new approaches to conservation science, leading to new methodologies that can “revert” the degradation processes of the works of art, in most cases “restoring” them to their original magnificent appearance (Giorgi et al., 2010: 695). The most intensely studied nano-structures for textile artefact conservation are metal nano-particles (AgNPs), metal oxides (zinc oxide, magnesium oxide, and titanium dioxide), hydroxide nanoparticles (calcium hydroxide and barium hydroxide) and modified nano-clays due to their remarkable antimicrobial properties, UV-absorbers, water-repellents, and dirt repellents (Lite et al., 2022: 609; Giorgi et al., 2010: 702-703; Palladino et al., 2020: 3). 

Conclusion
Our country, with its ancient history, is one of the most important centers with rich cultural-historical works in the world. A large part of these works are textiles which can be degraded using microorganisms due to their chemical structure. More and more studies are necessary for the field of historical textile conservation to preserve the memory of our predecessors, maintain up-to-date knowledge regarding new methods, and for future generations. Most of the studies conducted in Iran, have been investigated the effects of optimal environmental conditions, atmospheric pollutants, and ultraviolet rays on the conservation process of textiles. This is in while; the majority of Iranian studies have various drawbacks in terms of evaluating the bio-degradation mechanism of different microorganisms on the historical textiles and the use of latest methods for their conservation. In this way, the present work attempts to take a step towards the existing gaps. According to the results of this research, it can be concluded that the term biodegradation is defined as an irreversible process leading to a significant change of the material properties by the action of vital activities of microorganisms. This process occurs in the three stages i. e. bio-deterioration and bio-fragmentation, assimilation, and mineralization. The mineralization catabolic pathway depends on the environment where the microorganisms can grow and they digest the organic products of plastic degradation under aerobic or anaerobic conditions. During both processes, aerobic or anaerobic, microorganisms need a carbon source for growth and reproduction. 
In order to reduce the biodegradability of textiles, several physical and chemical conservation methods have been reported in the literature. The main method of preservation is maintaining the findings a microclimate to limit degradation by adjusting the brightness, humidity, and temperature of the area in which they are stored or exposed. Recently, special attention has been given to nanomaterials. Nanotechnology is revolutionizing materials science in a pervasive way, in a manner similar to polymer chemistry’s revolution of materials science over the preceding century. The continuous development of novel nanoparticle-based materials and the study of physicochemical phenomena at the nanoscale are creating new approaches to conservation science, leading to new methodologies that can “revert” the degradation processes of the works of art, in most cases “restoring” them to their original magnificent appearance. The most intensely studied nano-structures for textile conservation are metals, metal oxides, hydroxide nanoparticles, and modified nano-clays due to their remarkable antimicrobial properties, UV-absorbers, water-repellents, and dirt repellents.