About this Research Topic
Restoration and conservation treatments or protocols applied to monuments, buildings, historical objects, and artefacts belonging to Cultural Heritage must consider their uniqueness as well as complex structure and variety of materials employed for their creation. Accordingly, the ideal material and treatment should be effective in its conservation scope, compatible with the artefact itself, and harmless to health and the environment. In the recent years, the increase intention given to environmental sustainability helped to accelerate innovative research in green chemistry and technology fields and led also to the development and implementation of eco-sustainable materials and methods, and green technologies applied to cultural heritage in museums, cultural sites, and restoration activities. A rise in awareness regarding health safety, environmental protection, and Cultural Heritage sustainability, in general, contributed to the current concept and principles of green conservation.
The concept of sustainability has an ever-growing presence in our society and green possibilities can significantly contribute to the sustainable conservation of cultural heritage. In fact, the research efforts to substitute hazardous chemicals used in conservation made significant advancements: new eco-friendly materials and technologies for conservation have already been developed using green chemistry and nanotechnology, biotechnology has been applied to conservation and development of bio-based products, innovative green methods, products, and strategies have been incorporated into environmentally sustainable conservation practices, etc. The heritage science interdisciplinary approach has changed the paradigm of conservation science with a holistic understanding and sustainable care and use of heritage. In this context, the goal of this SI is to gather all recent achievements able to extend the life of a heritage item (a building, a painting, a statue, a manuscript, etc.) while retaining its heritage value by attaining the principles of sustainable development. The SI is mainly concerned with the material aspects of cultural heritage, from the preservation of the ancient models of manufacturing to diagnostic approaches and scientific conservation of materials.
Therefore, the desired contribution topics should be the ones detailed below, but not limited to these:
- Green and sustainable materials and technologies for the conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage
- Green and safe procedures and protocols to reduce and replace the use of hazardous chemicals in the conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage
- Nanomaterials, Nanocomposites, and Hybrid Materials for improved conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage
- Materials and technologies for preventing biodeterioration or colonization by microorganisms
- Non-destructive and non-invasive methods to validate the effectiveness of conservation materials and evaluate their non-harmful effect on the artefact
Inter- and trans-disciplinary case studies and review articles on green conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage.
The concept of sustainability has an ever-growing presence in our society and green possibilities can significantly contribute to the sustainable conservation of cultural heritage. In fact, the research efforts to substitute hazardous chemicals used in conservation made significant advancements: new eco-friendly materials and technologies for conservation have already been developed using green chemistry and nanotechnology, biotechnology has been applied to conservation and development of bio-based products, innovative green methods, products, and strategies have been incorporated into environmentally sustainable conservation practices, etc. The heritage science interdisciplinary approach has changed the paradigm of conservation science with a holistic understanding and sustainable care and use of heritage. In this context, the goal of this SI is to gather all recent achievements able to extend the life of a heritage item (a building, a painting, a statue, a manuscript, etc.) while retaining its heritage value by attaining the principles of sustainable development. The SI is mainly concerned with the material aspects of cultural heritage, from the preservation of the ancient models of manufacturing to diagnostic approaches and scientific conservation of materials.
Therefore, the desired contribution topics should be the ones detailed below, but not limited to these:
- Green and sustainable materials and technologies for the conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage
- Green and safe procedures and protocols to reduce and replace the use of hazardous chemicals in the conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage
- Nanomaterials, Nanocomposites, and Hybrid Materials for improved conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage
- Materials and technologies for preventing biodeterioration or colonization by microorganisms
- Non-destructive and non-invasive methods to validate the effectiveness of conservation materials and evaluate their non-harmful effect on the artefact
Inter- and trans-disciplinary case studies and review articles on green conservation and restoration of Cultural Heritage.
Keywords: Cultural heritage, Heritage science, Conservation and restoration, Green and safe methods and practices, Green materials and technologies
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
