The State of the Art in Radiation Processing for Cultural Heritage in Romania. Chapter 21

In Romania, radiation processing takes place at the IRASM Radiation Processing Center, a department of the Horia Hulubei National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (IFIN-HH), the most important research and development institute in Romania. IRASM was founded in 2001 with the help of the IAEA, which partially funded the irradiator. It was designed to promote the use of radiation technology in industry and agriculture and the preservation of heritage for public benefit. To be able to fulfil its mission, the irradiation facility is surrounded by analytical laboratories. The work of these laboratories is to measure and certify the beneficial effects of the irradiation. IRASM's structure is presented. On the premises are a Dosimetry Laboratory which has a mini-irradiator and a microbiological laboratory which validates irradiation sterilization. A laboratory for physical and chemical tests is located in a nearby building. It is able to conduct tests for the identification of irradiated foods, mechanical, structural and colorimetric tests, and others. A biocompatibility laboratory works in close cooperation on some IRASM activities related to medical devices. The activities performed at IRASM are certified by DQS Germany as being compliant with ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and ISO 11137. The laboratories received proof of their competence through licensing and accreditations, both domestic and international. The dosimetry lab is traceable at the National Physical Laboratory, United Kingdom, through Risø High Dose Reference Laboratory, Denmark. Decontamination of cultural heritage objects by irradiation has been considered an activity of national interest since the design of the IRASM facility. The category IV irradiation facility includes a tote box conveyer and allows industrial irradiation at high doses to be delivered in a short time. In the irradiation room of the facility, there is a space next to the conveyor where oversized artefacts may be placed for irradiation. Paper and other smaller artefacts can be irradiated in containers. Since the construction of the facility (in the 1990s), IRASM staff held periodic meetings with conservators/restorers, presenting information on the irradiation method and establishing relationships of trust with museum staff. There were also several cases in which small artefacts were decontaminated with an existing irradiator. The activities mentioned above have brought end users from museums since 2001, the year the IRASM centre was commissioned. The first activity was furniture decontamination for the Cotroceni Museum, Bucharest. The purpose of the treatment was to remove fungi before restoration. The next year, in 2002, the entire wooden inventory (~10 m3) of a parish church in Izvoarele village was treated. Also in 2002, an important project for the National Film Archive took place. It included the treatment of several dozen film reels severely contaminated with fungi. The treatment was preceded by several tests. IRASM activity related to the preservation of cultural heritage has developed continuously and now comprises undertakings ranging from research projects and doctoral theses to international cooperation.