Fungi in the biodeterioration of books in library environments in the last 35 years (1977 – 2012)

Abstract

The occurrence of fungal propagules in indoor environment of libraries and the books presence on the surface   favors the acquis biodeterioration librarian. The filamentous fungi are the major players involved in this process, due to their wide dispersal ability in the air. This study aimed to make a retrospective assessment of the types and kinds of fungi involved in books in the library environment of the last 35 years (1977-2012). The filamentous fungi responded on average by 96.2% of identified cases, with Aspergillus and Cladosporium fungal genera most frequently detected, followed by Alternaria, Epicoccum, Fusarium, Penicillium and Trichoderma in a lower rate. Candida and Rhodotorula were the only two genera of yeasts observed. Molds are of the types of fungi are still more likely to contaminate the environment of libraries and therefore the biological degradation of the books.