Chromium toxicityagainst mycological deterioration in chrome tanned compared with vegetable tanned leather artifacts

Biological degradation affected different types of organic materials that located in museums, storages and libraries. According to their hygroscopic and sensitive properties towards the environment conditions, the microorganisms are activated resulted in different deterioration aspects on the organic materials. Leather artifacts represent most of these organic materials in museums. It is known that the tanned leather is more resistant to the bio-deterioration than untannedleather. But it was noticed thatchrome tanned leathers are more resistant than the vegetable tanned leathers when both exposed to bio-deterioration. Chromiumleathers were being used primarily in the form of leather artifacts e.g.sandals, luggage and other such items.This study aims tomake a comparison between both types of tanned leather;explain what is discriminatethe chrome-tanned leathers resistance towards microbiological deterioration according to chrome toxicity; also measuring the mechanical properties (tensile strength – elongation)of the samples under microbiological accelerated ageing cycle; and finallyaddress a surveyof most common microorganisms that infected the archaeological vegetable/chrome tanned leathers in museums.