Old film rolls release poison gases: Wilhelmshöhe Castle!

Old film rolls release poison gases: Wilhelmshöhe Castle!

in the Museum Archive at Wilhelmshöhe Castle in Kassel has developed a worrying situation. Old film roles, which mainly come from the 1950s, have decomposed due to the recent high temperatures. This decomposition led to the release of poisonous gases, which ultimately required a large -scale operation by the fire brigade and the partial evacuation of the building resulted in. Employees noticed a strange smell, began to complain about health problems and even needed medical treatment at short notice. Fortunately, it turned out that there was no danger to the public, but the gases were a serious threat to the skin and airways of our employees.

The consequences of decomposition

The affected film roles are historical material and are no longer brought back to the archive. Instead, the digitization of these valuable images is due to preserve them for future generations. This was announced by Hesse's Minister of Art and Culture Gremmel, who also noted that the country's archive stocks are checked and, if necessary, protective measures are taken. Further measures to secure the stocks are currently being developed to avoid similar incidents in the future.

The decomposition of the celluloid film rolls is a serious problem that is favored by incorrect storage and environmental influences such as heat and moisture. Experts recommend storage under optimal conditions: temperatures between 5 and 20 ° C for different film types and a relative humidity of 30 to 45%. This is particularly important to prevent decay, damage and loss of value.

preventive measures and professional storage

Prevention measures such as a professional storage of the film roles can extend the lifespan of these sensitive objects by decades. They should be stored in archive -friendly containers that are not airtight to ensure sufficient air exchange. Incorrect storage leads to various problems such as shrinkage, brassification and acetic acid formation that endanger the integrity of the films. Storage in specialized archives at temperatures of -5 ° C is an ideal measure to slow down the aging.

Where does the smell come from that alerted the staff? Damage to the film that is noticeable by stinging vinegar smells or through mold formation, which occurs under unfavorable conditions, are often responsible for this. Regular control of these sensitive materials is essential to take timely measures if damage is determined.

Further information on this topic provides the reports from Deutschlandfunk Kultur href = "https://www.n-tv.de/der_tag/filmrollen-beiten-bei-hitze-gase-gase-frei-wilhelmshohe-vakier-article25880493.html"> n-tv and Myvint .