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507449 
Journal Article 
Microbial impact in the browning of old stained glass windows 
Orial, G; Warscheid, T; Bousta, F; Loisel, C 
2007 
1 
L'Actualite Chimique
ISSN: 0151-9093 
312-13 
34-39 
French 
WOS:000251728600011 
During the last decades, corrosion of stained glass windows was widely studied. The browning of glass corresponds to one of the encountered deterioration types. The chemical investigations mainly attributed this phenomenon to the oxidation of manganese, element of the glass composition. Recent microbiological studies revealed that bacteria could be implied significantly in the biodeterioration of ancient glass. The first stage of this study aimed to prove the existence of a bacterial intervention in the oxidation of manganese. The second part was devoted to simulation and characterization of the process on model glass samples. This research allowed a better understanding of the browning phenomenon. These results represent an advance in the knowledge of deterioration problems of old stained glass windows and could lead in the future to develop new conservation tools. 
stained glass windows; browning; manganese; oxidation; bacteria