Influence of Air Pollution on the Deterioration of Monuments and Museum Collections

The time has come to recognize the extreme importance of the archaeological sites in Jordan. They provide a wealth evidence and precise information regarding ancient civilizations and cultures. The safeguarding of this cultural heritage is one of the most urgent priorities, that involve the proper conservation and preservation methods of all artifacts and buildings that have an important artistic and historic value. Conservation is a whole field in regarding the care and treatment of valuable artifacts, both movable and immovable. It has two aspects： （1） the control of the environment--to minimize the decay of artifacts and materials and （2） the treatment of these--in order to stop or slow down any deterioration and to stabilize them where possible against further dilapidation. The museum environment is a limited space dedicated not only to exhibition but also to the appropriate conservation of works of art. This article presents an overview of the types of damage and deterioration that air pollution causes to indoor cultural heritage materials and monuments. It identifies the main damaging air pollutants from outdoor sources to be sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and sulphide gases.