Cultural Heritage Conservation and Environmental Impact Assessment by Non-Destructive Testing and Micro-Analysis

René Van Grieken obtained his PhD degree in Chemistry from the University of Ghent, Belgium, in 1971. He became Professor of Analytical and Environmental Chemistry at the University of Antwerp in 1974, and was nominated Full Professor in 1984. In 1980, he was a co-founder, and has since then been a co-director, of MiTAC, the Micro- and Trace Analysis Centre of the University of Antwerp, which employs some 80 researchers in fundamental analytical chemistry and its environmental, material science and cultural heritage applications. He has published some 650 articles and a dozen books in these various fields.Koen Janssens studied chemistry at the University of Antwerp and obtained a PhD in Analytical Chemistry in 1989 from this institution. In 1990, he became a staff member of MiTAC, first as a research associate and later as research director of the National Fund for Scientific Research, Brussels, Belgium. Since October 2000, he is Professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Antwerp, with teaching duties in radiochemistry and instrumental analytical chemistry. His research interests are centered on the use of X-ray microbeams for non-destructive microanalysis of various natures.

• PrefaceQuantitative analysis of ancient metal artefacts by means of portable energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence spectrometers: a critival reviewEffects of the cultural environmentNon-destructive testing by the Rp method of bronze monuments: three case studiesA study of artists' materials based on Raman spectroscopy and total-reflection x-ray fluorescence analysis (TXRF)Microfocus x-ray computed tomography (mCT) for archaeological glassesHow diagnostic technologies contribute to the interpretation of the Byzantine iconsNDT and planning on historic buildings and complexes for the protection of cultural heritageModern and ancient glass in the polluted atmosphere. What is the prevailing phenomenon? Leaching, corrosion, soling, encrusting ...?Non-destructive ion beam techniques for the depth profiling of elements in Amerindian gold jewellery artefactsInvestigation of a novel conservation precedure for historical documentsCan x-ray computed tomography contribute to cultural heritage and stone conservation through the non-destructive monitoring of deterioration and restoration processes>Microclimate measurements in the Cour Marly, Louvre MuseumInnovative techniques for the characterisation of the encrustation on Pentelic marble from the ParthenonNew insights on the chemical nature of stone yellowing produced after laser cleaningDyes and pigments: ten open questions for conservative scienceAnalysis of paint layers by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and synchrotron induced x-ray micro-diffractionFrom Giotto to De Chirico: analysis of paintings with portable EDXRF equipmentCorrosion of bronze in outdoor environmentsEndangered glass objects indentified by ion beam analysisTrace elements fingerprinting using accelerators and ICP-MS: circulation of gold from the 6th century BC to the 12th century ADAssessment of air pollutant levels in some European museums and churchesA survey of the recent use of x-ray beam methods for non-destructive investigations in the cultural heritage sectorAuthor indexAppendix