Pollutants monitoring and air quality evaluation in a confined environment: The 'Majesty' of Ambrogio Lorenzetti in the St. Augustine Church in Siena (Italy)

A monitoring campaign of the levels of some organic contaminants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), perfluoro alkylated substances (PFASs), chlorinated pesticides (4 isomers of hexachlorocyclohexane, hexachlorobenzene, 6 isomers and metabolites of DDT and dieldrin), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), in different matrices (dust taken from the floor and under a wall painting and fragments of the 'Majesty' wall painting by Ambrogio Lorenzetti), was conducted in the historical museum of St. Augustine's church in Siena (Italy). Instrumental analyses were made by gas chromatography and liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The results showed the presence of some organic pollutants (PAHs and PBDEs), whose interaction with the surfaces of works of art are not yet fully elucidated. The study was complemented by monitoring the air quality inside and outside the church for the detection of volatile organic compounds (VOCs); all the results showed low levels of air pollution.