Pollution Monitoring for Sea Salt Aerosols and Other Anionic Species at Hagar Qim Temples, Malta: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The damaging effects of sea salt aerosols on Globigerina Limestone are well known, and various professionals have studied and reported on the often complex underlying deterioration mechanisms. Following a preventive conservation project, undertaken to shelter and protect the UNESCO World Heritage Neolithic temple sites of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra, the Preventive Conservation Unit within the Diagnostic Science Laboratory at Heritage Malta embarked on a pilot study to identify whether sea salt aerosol deposition patterns within the site alter significantly post sheltering. The results from this short pilot study, by identifying the presence of salts using ion chromatography, have shown that there is a consistent pattern that when directly linked to the intrinsic shape of the temple interior as well as to the micro-environmental factors that are changing as a direct result to the sheltering, point to the trends of greater pollutant accumulation, particularly dust.

Keywords:

• sea salt aerosols
• preventive conservation
• sheltering
• wind
• eddy currents
• deterioration
• limestone
• Malta

Acknowledgements

Special thanks go to Dr Claire Baluci, Ms Stephanie Sammut, Mr Lawrence Spiteri and Ms Oriana Balzan.