Anoxia
Definition[edit | edit source]
Anoxia is a treatment used in conservation to kill insects by way of oxygen deprivation.
Related Terms[edit | edit source]
Synonyms in English[edit | edit source]
anoxic
Translation[edit | edit source]
| French | anoxie; hypoxie |
| Spanish | anoxia; hypoxia |
| German | hypoxie |
| Dutch | hypoxie |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 低氧除蟲 |
Discussion[edit | edit source]
In order to create an oxygen free environment, a vapor barrier film may be used. Then the sealed environment is purged with a non-oxygen gas, such as argon or nitrogen, and oxygen scavenger tablets are added to maintain the low oxygen concentrations (CAMEO). If oxygen levels are kept at or below 0.1%, all life stages of ten common museum insects can be killed in ten days (Daniel, et al., 1990).
Additional Information[edit | edit source]
Gilberg, M. "Inert Atmosphere Disinfestation of Museum Objects using Ageless Oxygen Scavenger", ICOM preprints, 9th Annual Meeting, Dresden (1990), p. 812-816.
Valentin, N. and Preusser, F. "Insect Control by Inert Gases in Museums, Archives and Libraries" Restaurator (1990) vol. 11., p. 22-23.
References[edit | edit source]
CAMEO: Conservation and Art Material Encyclopedia Online. “Anoxia.” Accessed from http://cameo.mfa.org/wiki/Anoxia on March 29, 2015.
Daniel, V., Hanlon, G., and Mekawa, S. "Eradication of Insect Pests in Museums Using Nitrogen" in WAAC Newsletter (Sept. 1993), Vol. 15 (3), p. 15-19.
