Correlation of indoor air quality and stable carbon isotope ratio of CO2 in historical monuments of Italy: a case study

Conservators and curators pay much attention to variability of microclimate conditions, contaminations, air pollution and influence of visitors on damage of museums, since atmospheric and gaseous pollutants could affect the conservation of cultural heritage. This work has regarded the monitoring of indoor air quality to evaluate the effects of environmental pollution in the field of cultural heritage. In particular, two different archaeological places were analysed: Fruscione Palace and S. Pietro a Corte in Salerno, Italy. The work focused on the influence of tourists on environmental pollution correlated to indoor air quality during many social and cultural events. Moreover, it was also analysed the possible use of carbon isotope composition of CO2 as a tool for environmental studies in the field of cultural heritage. The results showed a good correlation between isotopic composition of CO2 and the variation of pollutants concentration in the air, demonstrating that it is a valid tool and non-invasive marker to monitor environmental pollution of museums and cultural heritage.