Abstract
Fungi are the most harmful microorganisms responsible for the deterioration of nonmetallic materials such as glass, polymers, and composites. To date, biological aspects of glass deterioration have been poorly investigated. The present study aimed to evaluate the diversity of the fungal community colonizing eyepieces of binoculars collected from museums of the northern provinces of Vietnam and the biodeterioration effects on accurate glass reproductions. A total of 40 isolates belonging to 14 genera were identified based on internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing, morphological features, and maximum likelihood analysis. The most abundant fungal genera included Aspergillus (43.8%) and Penicillium (31.3%). Among those detected, Byssochlamys, Curvularia, Phomopsis, Coprinellus, Perenniporia, Talaromyces, Pithomyces, Neopestalotiopsis, Trichoderma, Pleospora, and Humicola were found for the first time. Of the 40 strains tested, 8 strains showed great organic acid production, and the extent of mycelium covered from 33.6 to 46.24%. Specifically, the highest extracellular polymeric substance production was observed in Byssochlamys spectabilis BXMA1-2 (14.96 g/L), Aspergillus niger BXMA5-2 (12.17 g/L), and Aspergillus ochraceopetaliformis BMLC1-2 (9.89 g/L). Glass biodeterioration experiments revealed that the light transmission through the fungal-treated glasses was decreased by 30–42.2% as compared to the nontreated glass. In addition, the main alterations resulted from hyphal fingerprints and spots, leading to apparent damage and biocorrosion.
Highlights
For many years, the deterioration and corrosion of glass due to physicochemical processes have been documented [1]
As viewed under the light microscope, the coverage of fungal hyphae was extensive on the surface of 15 glass samples, with the extent of coverage ranging from 21 to 48% (Figure 1c,d), which corresponded to harmful grades 2 and 3 based on the ISO 9022-11 criteria (Table 1)
Fungal biodeterioration of optical equipment represents a serious concern leading to notable research efforts over the last decades
Summary
The deterioration and corrosion of glass due to physicochemical processes have been documented [1]. The role of microorganisms in glass deterioration has been investigated in recent decades [2,3,4,5]. Many studies have proved that along with the physicochemical attack, the deterioration process is strongly stimulated by microbial contamination. Microorganisms can grow on glass materials and cause damage in situ, such as crack formation, pitting, etching, chipping, leaching, and discoloration [6]. Many studies have been conducted mainly focusing on the deterioration of stained-glass samples at historic churches in Germany [7], Spain [8,9], and Brazil [10], but little is known about the biodeterioration of modern glass materials of optical instruments
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