FUNGAL DETERIORATION OF HISTORICAL TEXTILES AND APPROACHES FOR THEIR CONTROL IN EGYPT

This study represents both a study case about the fungalmicroflora deteriorating historical textiles in the EgyptianMuseum and the Coptic Museum in Cairo, and evaluation ofthe efficacy of several combinations of consolidants forreinforcement of textiles and fungicides for prevention offungal deterioration. Two different methods were used forisolation of fungi from historical textile objects. The platemethod with a manual key was used for identification offungi. The results show that the most dominant fungi isolatedfrom the examined textile samples belong toAlternaria, Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Penicillium andTrichoderma species.Microbiological testing was used for evaluation of the usefulnessof consolidation polymers combined with fungicidesin prevention of fungal deterioration of ancientEgyptian textiles. Textile samples were treated using fourselected polymers combined with two selected fungicides.Untreated and treated textile samples were deteriorated bythree selected active fungal strains isolated from ancientEgyptian textile objects. This study reports that all of thetested polymers combined with fungicides prevent fungaldeterioration of textiles. The treatments not only reinforcetextiles, but also prevent fungal deterioration and increasetheir durability. The tested polymers without fungicidesreduce fungal deterioration of textiles but do not prevent itentirely.