Publication
Title
Atmospheric composition and micro-climate in the Alhambra monument, Granada (Spain), in the context of preventive conservation
Author
Abstract
The world famous Alhambra monument in Granada, Southern Spain, listed as UNESCO world cultural heritage since 1984, represents probably the most beautiful example of Islamic art and architecture from the Middle Ages in Europe. It is visited by ca. 2 million people annually. Granada is situated in a natural basin, surrounded by mountains with altitudes up to 3500 m. Due to this topography and the prevailing low wind speeds, pollution-derived and especially traffic-derived particulate matter often accumulates in the urban air. In order to evaluate the potential conservation risks from the surrounding air, the atmospheric composition in the Alhambra monument was evaluated. Indoor temperature and relative humidity fluctuations were evaluated for their potential degenerative effects. Furthermore, the atmospheric composition in the Alhambra was analyzed in terms of inorganic gases (NO2, SO2, O3, and NH3) and black carbon. It was found that the open architecture protected the indoor environments from developing a potentially harmful microclimate, such as the build-up of humidity resulting from the huge number of daily tourists. On the downside, the strong ventilation made the indoor air hardly different from outdoor air, as characterized by strong diurnal temperature and relative humidity gradients and high traffic-derived pollutant levels.
Language
English
Source (journal)
IOP conference series : materials science and engineering. - Bristol, 2009, currens
Publication
Bristol : Institute of Physics , 2012
ISSN
1757-8981 [print]
1757-899X [online]
DOI
10.1088/1757-899X/37/1/012002
Volume/pages
37 (2012) , p. 1-8
Article Reference
012002
ISI
000307662000002
Medium
E-only publicatie
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Assessment of atmospheric environmental risks related to artworks in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage complex of Alhambra (Granada, Spain) with the emphasis on the analysis of a unique collection of authentic pigment samples.
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 25.07.2012
Last edited 09.10.2023
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