FOXING or MOLD ON BOOK

[Silvers24]

Ok...so, now I know what it is, but give me all the info on this.

Anyway to stop this aswell? I know Humidty & books don't work well if there is allot, & maybe the temp is high.

Lots more info! Since now I officially have three books with foxing on it..

& how do I exactly tell? Now that I look at the books more closely I notice it.

[Aces]

Foxing looks like little yellowish to brown specks on the paper.

It's the begining of mold damage from moisture.

[Silvers24]

Ok thanks for the info. Anyone else have any more info besides what Aces said?

Anyway to REMOVE or get rid of the Foxing? Etc?

[Pirate]

and it will spread to your other books. Get rid of the mold by selling the books to kingofrulers.

[Silvers24]

I have three books to get rid of with heavy foxing.

If he wants to BIN of $55, then sure!

[Darrell F]

Anyway to REMOVE or get rid of the Foxing? Etc?

 

Buy a better copy.

[Silvers24]

Anyway to REMOVE or get rid of the Foxing? Etc?

 

Buy a better copy.

Well, that's one way to solve it, but what if ya cant? It's mold, just like plants, it should be able to be removed, or die someway.

[CW]

I was under the impression that mold needs a certain minimal level of relative humidity to spread. So you should be able to keep it under control by controling humidity levels and temperature. Also I didn't think the mold would spread to other books if they were kept seperated by plastic. I may be mistaken. Does anyone know for sure?

[Silvers24]

I was under the impression that mold needs a certain minimal level of relative humidity to spread. So you should be able to keep it under control by controling humidity levels and temperature. Also I didn't think the mold would spread to other books if they were kept seperated by plastic. I may be mistaken. Does anyone know for sure?

I belive it has to be in the bag in order to keep from the spreading. If the book has actual contact without bag & board, I belive then it would transfer.

But now I am wondering the same.

[Zinx087-migration]

It can spread across the plastic and into it. That's the way it worked when I did carpentry and one time the counters were stored somewhere with poor climate control.

(the way we killed it wouldn't be practical for comic books...it involved bleach and some other liquid I forget at the moment)

[CW]

So it seems the most likely way to stop it is to lower the humidity. Wouldn't this theoretically cause dormancy of the mold and reduction in spores and their ability to take? I have to believe that people have books with foxing in their collections, does this threaten all the other books? I have a slab with foxing in a box full of other slabs. How would one suggest I store it?

[FFB]

Here is Tracey Heft's article on molds and foxing. Great reading.

 

==================================================

 

This article is copyright 1994 by Tracey Heft. This article was

originally published, in edited form, by Overstreet Comic Book Monthly.

Permission has been granted by the author for electronic distribution of

this document for personal usage provided it remain intact, unedited and

unaltered. No commerical usage or publication in other media is permitted

without the expressed written consent of the author.

 

 

Molds and Foxing

by

Mr. Tracey Heft

 

 

Imagine if you will, an average collector with a fairly substantial

collection of comic books spanning in age from the forties to the present

era. Let's assume this average collector has not looked through the

collection in quite some time, since he/she spends most of their time

purchasing and acquiring new items. One day, our collector decides to

examine the copy of Superman #38 that he/she bought at a local convention

last year to see if it really is as near mint as he/she remembers it to be.

He/she roots through the boxes of books that have accumulated through the

years and finally finds the item in question. He/she takes it out from

amongst the other books located in the same box and gingerly removes the

mylar sleeve that's been protecting it since it was first acquired. The

collector then flips open the near mint cover to behold it's creamy pearl

colored pages and ...

A small group of rusty looking patches that was never there before,

occupying a 1/4 inch area at the top of the comic.

As promised in my last column, this time we will examine molds,

"foxing" and the importance of "good housekeeping" in safeguarding your

collection from attack by microbiological organisms.

I can think of nothing more heartbreaking than to behold a high grade

copy of a comic or similar collectible that has since become damaged due

to improper environmental storage, especially since the appearance of mold

or fungi is easily prevented. In order to better understand the danger

that molds pose to a collection, we need to examine the life cycle of

these micro-organisms.

During the life-cycle of a typical fungi (and this includes molds)

the organism reaches a point where reproduction occurs. In order to

reproduce, fungi will create spores (basically the "seed") that will

spread and help in the dispersal of the organism to new habitats. A

single mold will produce large amounts of these spores in order to

increase the odds of successful germination. Spores, once released,

are carried by circulating winds until they land on a surface that

contains conditions suitable for their incubation and subsequent growth.

Since these spores can survive for an indefinite length of time, they

pose a constant source of danger and are in the air around us at all

times just waiting until conditions favour their growth.

These conditions generally include the following: oxygen to breath

(although there are molds and fungi that do not need oxygen in order to

survive), a food source large enough to maintain the life-cycle during

the growth period, a temperature that is suitable to a fungi's specific

requirements and an area that is sufficiently humid. If these factors

are present in an area, then mold will grow. If these factors are not

present, then the reverse is also true - the fungi will not incubate.

Because a fungi needs such specific requirements in order to sustain

it's life-cycle, there are some very simple steps that the average

collector can take in order to prevent an infestation from occurring

in the collection.

While it is reasonable to assume that the average collector is

unable to limit the amount of oxygen available, and any "food source"

needed by the organism is contained within the comic itself, only the

environmental factors of temperature and humidity are within the ability

of most collectors to control.

To begin with, the mold that can be readily found on paper has a

narrow temperature range in which it's life-cycle is optimized. If

temperatures are lowered or, for that matter - raised, beyond the limits

of this optimal range, then the growth of the fungus is altered and/or

rendered impossible. Research has found that most of the fungi

responsible for the infestation of paper and cellulosic materials

requires an optimal temperature range of 65-860F. Any temperature

outside of this range will generally serve to protect your collection

from biological attack.

One problem, as readers of the previous columns will immediately

recognize, the optimum range for mold growth covers the same temperature

range recommended for ideal storage of paper and cellulosic materials

(68 -72 Fahrenheit). And what's worse, some species of mold are active

at temperatures lower than 650F! By maintaining a constant temperature

in your storage area of 720F or lower, you are still providing favourable

conditions in which certain species of mold will flourish.

This leaves only one factor that can easily be controlled by the

collector: relative humidity.

As mentioned in previous columns, relative humidity is a major

factor in the degradation and subsequent browning of paper fibres.

Relative humidity levels above 65% readily contribute to the germination

of spores. It is therefore in the collectors best interest to control,

as much as possible, the relative humidity levels within the storage area.

By keeping the relative humidity to the recommended 50%, spores are

prevented from establishing themselves within the collection. If

relative humidity is ever found to be above the 50% recommendation

(for example a flooded basement or damp storage area) then mold will

begin to propagate. Put another way, the mildew you smell is the mold

you cannot see. If you are unable to easily control the relative

humidity of the storage area (for example, after a flood or during a

spring thaw) then installing a fan to promote air circulation will also

help to prevent mold damage from becoming widespread. Air circulation

can act to prevent the spores from landing long enough to infect the

damp paper fibres and at the same time will help to dry out the damp

areas.

If an infestation does occur, it is most likely to be in the

form of "foxing". This term "foxing", is ascribed to the appearance

of reddish-brown areas, encircled by a lighter-brown ring. And while

it is a problem found mainly on books and older prints, it can also

be found on comic books. It is encountered more often than any other

mold or fungal infestation and usually it's appearance is restricted

to a small area and is not wide-spread over the pages of the comic itself.

Interestingly enough, it's exact origins have not been proven

conclusively but two theories exist:

 

 

1) The reddish-brown spots are fungal in origin and under damp

conditions germinate and the life-cycle begins

or

2) The brown stains are caused by the formation of metallic salts

from stray metallic compounds located in the paper fibres themselves.

 

 

In addition to those two theories, there is a third hypothesis that

suggests the conversion of metallic ions into metallic salts occurs due

to the life-cycle of a fungal infestation - basically a combination of

the two previous theories.

Experimental data from around the world (most notably from

researchers in Germany, Britain and Canada) shows traces of iron,

copper and zinc within the regions of the staining. Also, it has been

discovered that the pH of the stained areas is dramatically more acidic

than the surrounding paper support. Heavily "foxed" books, prints and

comics, all suffer from embrittlement, degradation and if the damage is

severe enough, complete perforation of the stained areas. Foxing, whether

caused by micro-organisms or the formation of metallic salts, will

eventually result in a weakness and loss of strength and fibre structure

irreparably damaging the comic for life.

In order to safeguard collections from harm, a systematic routine

of cleaning and maintenance that monitors the condition of the collection

is needed. By randomly selecting books from the collection and

investigating them thoroughly cover to cover, the collector can effectively

monitor the state of his/her books. How often a random search through

the collection occurs, depends on the environmental conditions of the

storage area in which the collection is housed. If the environment is

below recommended levels then spot-checks should be undertaken more

frequently.

If you do discover a mold growth on a book or have purchased a

book with mold or foxing already present, there are several things you

should do immediately. First, panic! Mold and spores are always active,

all they require are the proper conditions in order to grow. They never

die. Ever. So, if you discover a problem, consider it an indication of

wide spread infestation and a harbinger of worse things to come. If

detected early enough, the damage caused by mold and fungi can be reduced

and the contaminated books can be saved from irreparable harm. Without

giving away any trade secrets, I heartily recommend the following course

of action:

 

 

1) remove the books that are contaminated to an area away from the

rest of the collection. This will prevent the spread of spores to

books not yet contaminated.

2) change the environmental conditions of the storage area so that

spore growth cannot readily occur. Lower the temperature and the

relative humidity to within recommended levels.

3) take your contaminated comics outside and gently brush over any

visible areas that are present. Throw away the brush when you are

finished as it will be contaminated with spores.

4) store the contaminated books in a separate storage area away

from the rest of the collection. Make sure that environmental

conditions within this second storage area are within recommended

levels.

5) keep air within both storage areas circulating. Stagnant air

allows spores a chance to land and germinate if conditions are

favourable. Do not consciously create a micro-environment where

mold spores can incubate. (For more information on micro-climates

see the previous "Conservation for the Collector" column.)

6) after an extended period of time, check the contaminated books

again for further activity. If no further activity is noticeable,

then the books can be returned to the main collection. However, if

maintaining a separate storage area is feasible, then the

contaminated books should remain quarantined.

 

 

Fungi and mold damage can occur very easily to a collection, in spite

of the diligence of the collector to prevent such damage from occurring.

Through the application of sound and archivally safe storage methods and

the implementation of a regular schedule of examination, the appearance

of mold and other fungi will be kept to an absolute minimum and damage

to the collection, from these sources, will be eliminated. Remember, the

appearance of mold and fungi on a comic is a danger sign that cannot be

ignored as it is symptomatically indicative of a larger problem - high

relative humidity.

Until next time, when we'll look at rodents, pests and things

that go "munch" in the night, keep on collecting.

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tracey heft, author of the Overstreet "Bag and Board" columns, is a

professionally trained paper and artifact conservator and a member of

The International Institute for Conservation - Canadian Group.

Tracey has worked extensively for the Canadian federal governement on the

restoration and preservation of priceless historic documents. He is also

working in the field of comics and collectibles restoration. Some of

the books Tracey has worked on include: Amazing Spider-Man 1, Fantastic

Four 1, Showcase 6,8, 11 and 14, Adventure 74, Captain Marvel Adventures 3.

Tracey may be reached care of Eclipse Paper Conservation (613) 230-6181 or

email at a...@freenet.carleton.ca (until Tracey gets a net connection of

his own).

 

 

Photos and scans of sample work available on request.

[divad]

except that foxing is neither a mold nor a fungus . . .

[FFB]

except that foxing is neither a mold nor a fungus . . .

 

"Application of Scanning Electron Microscope in the Field of Conservation Science of Cultural Properties," by Toshiko Kenjo, Hideo Arai and Toshiaki Suzuki. JEOL News Vol. 25E No. 1, p. 13-17, 1987. ISBN 0385-4426. (JEOL News is a journal about electronic optics instrumentation.)

 

Foxing was induced in the lab in two ways, by incubation of fungi (which grew on paper with or without metal inclusions) and by introduction of iron to paper. Author Hideo Arai considers that the main cause of foxing is fungal growth. Five refs. (3B2.39)

 

 

 

"Induced Foxing by Components Found in Foxed Areas," by Hideo Arai, Noritaka Matsumura and Hiroyuki Murakita. ICOM Committee for Conservation, 9th Triennial Meeting, Dresden, GDR, 26-31 August 1990, Preprints, p. 801-803. (Working Group 25, Control of Biodeterioration)

 

In previous work, the authors established that xerophilic fungi are the main causes of foxing, and that they deposit L-malic acid, glucose, cello-oligosaccharides and 16 amino acids in foxed areas. Here they report work showing that L-malic acid, glucose and g-aminobutyric acid stimulate foxing the most. The optimum environment for the induction of foxing is 75% RH and 35°C. (3B2.39)

[divad]

except that foxing is neither a mold nor a fungus . . .

 

"Application of Scanning Electron Microscope in the Field of Conservation Science of Cultural Properties," by Toshiko Kenjo, Hideo Arai and Toshiaki Suzuki. JEOL News Vol. 25E No. 1, p. 13-17, 1987. ISBN 0385-4426. (JEOL News is a journal about electronic optics instrumentation.)

 

Foxing was induced in the lab in two ways, by incubation of fungi (which grew on paper with or without metal inclusions) and by introduction of iron to paper. Author Hideo Arai considers that the main cause of foxing is fungal growth. Five refs. (3B2.39)

 

 

 

"Induced Foxing by Components Found in Foxed Areas," by Hideo Arai, Noritaka Matsumura and Hiroyuki Murakita. ICOM Committee for Conservation, 9th Triennial Meeting, Dresden, GDR, 26-31 August 1990, Preprints, p. 801-803. (Working Group 25, Control of Biodeterioration)

 

In previous work, the authors established that xerophilic fungi are the main causes of foxing, and that they deposit L-malic acid, glucose, cello-oligosaccharides and 16 amino acids in foxed areas. Here they report work showing that L-malic acid, glucose and g-aminobutyric acid stimulate foxing the most. The optimum environment for the induction of foxing is 75% RH and 35°C. (3B2.39)

 

Yes, I read the Arai abstracts during my research last year and was not swayed by the conclusions they made. Due to the mycelial structure of fungi, the growth patterns of fungi are generally uniformly dendritic. Foxing is not. In fact, it is most often observed and described as "splotchy" or "speckled" or by some other non-dendritic adjective. I think the flaw is in the initial assumptions made by various researchers who have attributed it to a fungal origin.

[FFB]

I'll have to defer to your biologicalness because I couldn't even tell you the difference between mold and fungus unless we're talking cheeses and mushrooms.

[divad]

I'll have to defer to your biologicalness because I couldn't even tell you the difference between mold and fungus unless we're talking cheeses and mushrooms.

 

pizza

 

See my brief edit; now I'm hittin' the hay.

[CW]

My brain just doubled in size. I'm printing this one out and keeping it in my files! Thanks Scott and Divad.

[FFB]

Chris,

 

There are several other of Tracey's articles available online. Go to www.google.com. Click on the link for Groups. Search Groups for "tracey heft" in quotes. Click on and print out all of the "Bag, Board, and Box" articles. They're great.

[CW]

Cool I'll check it out. Thanks