Researchers at HSLL have recently published a new study titled “Quality Assessment of Box Materials for Long-Term Archival Storage: VOC Emissions Are Not a Significant Concern”.

The lead author is Randa Deraz, PhD researcher exploring the principles of lifetime modelling in the context of archival storage and preventive conservation. The research was carried out in close collaboration with ZFB – Zentrum für Bucherhaltung (Germany) and the National and University Library (NUK), Slovenia.

The study combined volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis by GC–MS, quantification of acetic and formic acids by ion chromatography, and Oddy testing to evaluate the chemical safety of archival box materials, both polypropylene and cardboard, as well as aged cardboard. The experimental results were supported by modelling of equilibrium acid concentrations under realistic storage conditions, including typical air-exchange rates found in archival enclosures.

The results demonstrate that emissions of acetic and formic acids from archival box materials (even aged cardboard) at room temperature remain well below established risk thresholds for paper degradation (100 ppb, PAS 198:2012). Boxes with very low exchange rates, e.g. polypropylene and coated boaxes, do approach the threshold value, however. Importantly, the integrated experimental and modelling evidence shows that the stored paper itself—not the box material—needs to be considered as a source of risk in relation to long-term storage .

This research was authored by Randa Deraz, Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo, Katharina Schuhmann, Manfred Anders, Jasna Malešič, Irena Kralj Cigić, Abdelrazek Elnaggar, and Matija Strlič.

The work was supported by the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme (GREENART project, Grant Agreement No. 101060941) and by the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) through projects N1-0271, J7-50226, P1-0447, and E-RIHS Slovenia (I0-012).