Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 9, 2025

Minimum Burning Pressures of Water-based Emulsion Explosives
08:35

Minimum Burning Pressures of Water-based Emulsion Explosives

Published on: October 31, 2017

8.5K

Drenched Pages: A Primer on Wet Books

Islam El Jaddaoui1,2,3, Kayo Denda4, Hassan Ghazal5,6,7

  • 1Laboratory of Human Pathologies Biology, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University Mohammed V, Rabat 10000, Morocco.

Biology
|September 4, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Fungal mold outbreaks in libraries damage collections and pose health risks. This guide helps microbiologists understand mold and prevent contamination in library materials.

Area of Science:

  • Mycology and Library Conservation
  • Environmental Microbiology
  • Public Health and Indoor Air Quality

Background:

  • Fungal growth (mold) on library materials causes chemical, mechanical, and aesthetic degradation.
  • Factors contributing to mold outbreaks include poor library maintenance, HVAC failures, water leaks, and flooding.
  • High concentrations of airborne fungal spores are associated with severe respiratory issues and other human health effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide microbiologists with foundational knowledge of fungal taxonomy, morphology, and nomenclature.
  • To assist librarians in managing and mitigating mold contamination in library collections.
  • To address the increasing threat of fungal biodeterioration and health risks due to climate change-induced events.

Main Methods:

  • Review of fungal characteristics relevant to library environments.
  • Analysis of common causes and contributing factors for mold outbreaks in libraries.
  • Development of guidelines for minimizing fungal contamination in library collections.

Main Results:

  • Fungi present significant threats to the preservation of library holdings.
  • Airborne fungal spores can lead to adverse health outcomes in humans.
  • Climate change exacerbates the frequency and severity of mold-related issues in libraries.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding fungal biology is crucial for effective library material preservation.
  • Proactive management and preventative strategies are essential to control mold outbreaks.
  • Collaboration between microbiologists and librarians is key to safeguarding collections and ensuring a healthy environment.
Keywords:
biodeteriorationfungihuman healthlibrariesmoldmycologypreservation

More Related Videos

Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopic Identification of Dispersant/Particle Bonding Mechanisms in Functional Inks10:31

Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Spectroscopic Identification of Dispersant/Particle Bonding Mechanisms in Functional Inks

Published on: May 8, 2015

13.8K
Fabrication of Three-dimensional Paper-based Microfluidic Devices for Immunoassays11:33

Fabrication of Three-dimensional Paper-based Microfluidic Devices for Immunoassays

Published on: March 9, 2017

15.8K

Related Concept Videos

Washing, Drying, and Ignition of Precipitates00:52

Washing, Drying, and Ignition of Precipitates

After filtration, the precipitate is washed to remove coprecipitated impurities and any remaining mother liquor. Colloidal precipitates, such as silver chloride, are washed with an electrolyte (such as dilute nitric acid) to prevent the peptization of the precipitate. In the case of slightly soluble precipitates, the wash solution contains a common ion to reduce solubility. Lead sulfate, which is slightly soluble in water, is washed with dilute sulfuric acid. Similarly, wash solutions may be...
1.1K
Curing Methods01:26

Curing Methods

Concrete members with a small surface-to-volume ratio are cured by oiling and moistening the forms before casting the concrete member. These forms can be left in place for a prolonged period to prevent moisture loss, and can be wetted if made of a material suitable for wetting. If the forms are removed early, the concrete member is moistened and covered with polythene sheets to maintain moisture. For large horizontal concrete surfaces exposed to dry weather, a temporary covering is suspended...
121
Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy01:20

Preparation of Samples for Electron Microscopy

To be visualized by an electron microscope, either transmission or scanning, biological samples need to be fixed (stabilized) so the electron beam does not destroy them and dried thoroughly (desiccated/dehydrated) so the vacuum does not affect them. Fixation needs to be done as quickly as possible because the sample properties will start changing as soon as it is removed from its natural environment. For example, in a tissue sample, the oxygen levels begin decreasing, causing an altered...
5.8K
Southern Blot02:57

Southern Blot

Agarose gel electrophoresis is very useful in separating DNA fragments by size. Running a DNA ladder containing fragments of the known length alongside the sample helps determine the approximate length of the sample DNA fragments. However, additional steps are needed to verify the sequence identity of the sample DNA fragments.
Denatured DNA fragments must be transferred onto a carrier membrane from the gel to make it accessible to a probe - a small ssDNA fragment complementary to the target DNA...
20.2K
Imprinting01:22

Imprinting

Behavioral imprinting is observed in some newborn animals and occurs when they develop strong and specific attachments to another animal (usually a parent) following brief, early-life exposures. Offspring imprint onto parents within a brief period after birth or hatching; this time window is called the critical period. Once imprinting occurs, the bond established between the parents and their offspring is usually long-lasting.
10.1K
Drying Shrinkage01:21

Drying Shrinkage

When hardened concrete is exposed to air with a relative humidity of less than 100 percent, it begins to lose the free water within its capillaries. As this water evaporates, the water initially adsorbed onto the calcium silicate hydrates migrates towards these now empty spaces and eventually evaporates as well. Over time, as more water leaves, the volume of the concrete decreases, a phenomenon known as drying shrinkage.
A portion of this drying shrinkage can be reversed; if the concrete is...
151