Abstract
During the present century, stained glass windows in European cathedrals have shown a rapid deterioration due to weathering. It is widely believed that this rapid deterioration is a result of airborne pollutants not present for most of the 6–8 centuries since these cathedrals were built. To explore this idea, we have exposed soda-lime glass samples to ambients in which temperature, relative humidity (RH), and pollutant (SO 2 and NO 2) concentration were systematically varied. After exposure, the surfaces of these glass samples were analyzed using nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) (to measure hydrogen profiles) and Rutherford backscattering. Glasses subject to cracking during hydration, such as the glass used in many historic stained glass windows, are also discussed.
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