# Adhesive Tape Strips and PVA–Borax Hydrogels as Alternative Cleaning Methods to Remove Fungal Proliferation on Canvas Support of Paintings

## TL;DR

This study explores new methods using adhesive tape and hydrogels to clean fungi from paintings, showing promising results compared to traditional techniques.

## Contribution

The paper introduces and evaluates PVA-B gel and adhesive tape strips as novel, effective methods for fungal removal from canvas artworks.

## Key findings

- PVA-B gel effectively removed fungi from canvas surfaces and subsurfaces without damaging fibers.
- PVA-B gel with Cyrene™ showed antifungal activity comparable to that with clove essential oil.
- Adhesive tape strips slightly outperformed micro-aspiration in fungal removal for most cases.

## Abstract

Two commercial adhesive tape strips (Fungi-TapeTM and Filmoplast® P) and a polyvinyl alcohol–borax (PVA-B) gel were tested as novel physical cleaning alternatives to micro-aspiration for removing visible fungal colonisation from a cotton canvas. In addition, clove essential oil (CEO) and Cyrene™ were incorporated in the PVA-B gel for testing the potential of each to improve fungal cleaning. For the trials, canvas mock-ups were separately inoculated with two fungal species identified as Penicillium chrysogenum and Aspergillus westerdijkiae. Removal of fungi and related impacts were evaluated by DOM, FESEM, ATR-FTIR and ImageJ software. Inhibition of fungal spores and residual growth were assessed by in vitro growth tests and CLSM. Removal of A. westerdijkiae was more effective than removal of P. chrysogenum, especially for dense coverage. Both tape strips removed slightly more fungus than micro-aspiration, except for dense coverage of P. chrysogenum. The PVA-B gel, both with and without CEO or Cyrene™, yielded the best (similar) results, removing the fungal material found on the surface and subsurface of canvas without damaging the canvas fibres. Although further testing is required, the antifungal activity of PVA-B gel+ Cyrene™ seems comparable to that of PVA-B gel+ CEO, the former being especially effective against A. westerdijkiae.