Highly chlorinated toxic contaminants in pesticide-treated wooden art objects

Although the contamination of wooden art objects with pesticides is well known, to the authors' knowledge no attempt has yet been made to investigate the eventual presence of other toxic compounds that have been produced during the degradation of pesticides or that may be present in the technical formulations. Here, the authors report on the presence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs) in scrapings from wooden antique art objects, namely printing blocks, sculptures, and masks. These antiques belong to 2 fine art museums in Belgium--Antwerp's Ethnographic Museum and the Plantin-Moretus Museum. It is documented that these art objects were treated with pesticides in the 1950s. In addition, 2-heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (HpCDD) isomers and octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) were also identified. The presence of these toxic compounds in these antiques requires a better understanding of safety for the persons (conservators, museum employees, restorers, and visitors) coming in contact with these objects.