Towards a better comprehension of biodeterioration in earthenarchitecture: Study of fungi colonisation on historic wall surfacesin Brazil

ALEJANDRA FAZIO; ANDREA CAVICCHIOLI; DAYSI A PENNA; FELIPE S CHAMBERGO; DALVA L.A. DE FARIAA

JOURNAL OF CULTURAL HERITAGE

ELSEVIER FRANCE-EDITIONS SCIENTIFIQUES MEDICALES ELSEVIER

Lugar: Paris; Año: 2015

1296-2074

This study was aimed to describe fungal communities found in biofilms growing on earthen walls(rammed earth, wattle-and-daub and adobe) of rural and semi-urban historical buildings representativeof the first phase of the Brazilian coffee cycle (1820?1880), in the upper basin of the Paraiba do Sulriver, São Paulo State. The relationship between substrates and such surface-associated microbial communitieswas also investigated. Fungal biodiversity was significantly higher in rammed earth with respectto the other two techniques. Granulometric analysis showed that rammed earth also contained a higherpercentage of coarse soil fraction which is likely to favour the accumulation of water and organic matter.Cellulolytic activity tested positive for the majority of fungi and acidification test showed that fungiexhibit elevated acidifying capacity suggesting that biodeterioration may occur through acid metabolites