Testing services for pesticides in the field of art and cultural assets

Collections and museums today still contain art and cultural assets contaminated with pesticides, which can pose a health risk if not handled correctly. We are able to determine pesticides quickly and non-destructively and work with you to develop individualised occupational health and safety measures.

Range of services

We offer the following services:

Assessment of the condition of items of cultural heritage in collections and repositories with respect to contamination with organochlorine pesticides and heavy metals
On-site screening of the items using portable X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF)
Non-destructive determination of organochlorine compounds based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry
Determination of pesticide concentration and distribution in items
Determination of the emission of pesticides from individual items into the indoor air
Dust analyses
Determination of pesticides in indoor air
Case-specific risk analyses in conjunction with external partners
Development of occupational health and safety measures for handling contaminated objects

All orders are carried out by qualified specialists and treated confidentially.

Infrastructure

We are able to provide services and carry out development tasks with a high degree of proficiency using the following:

Portable X-ray fluorescence analysis
Adsorption-based passive sampler for non-destructive sampling
Thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TDS-GC-MS)
Liquid injection gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)
Accelerated solvent extraction and micro-extraction methods for the preparation of very small sample volumes

Testing services for pesticides in the field of art and cultural assets

Range of services

We offer the following services:

Infrastructure

Contact

Prof. Dr. Ingo Mayer

Further information