In 2002, the Jesuit-guaraní Missions Program of the province of Misiones was established as part of an international campaign to link the missions of the three countries in a tourism circuit that would help make them self-sustainable while developing uniform criteria for their conservation. Within this program, several restoration and conservation activities were carried out, among them that of the main portal of the church in the San Ignacio Miní mission. This inter- vention was carried out between 2006 and 2007 and provided an opportunity to test passive biocontrol systems (Magadán et al., 2007).
Passive biocontrol systems have been applied successfully in the past (Wes- sel, this volume). The system relies on the slow leaching of metal ions, such as copper or zinc, from metal strips by rainwater that then flows over the surface to be controlled, a point that can be observed on any structure that has bronze, brass, or zinc elements present. It is best observed in cemeteries, where metal lettering leaves a clean stripe in an otherwise biocolonized surface. The leached ions can act as a long-term biocide or as a fungistat to pre- vent new biogrowth if the metal strips are appropriately placed (Wessel, 2003). Although the implementation of these systems can be considered relatively straightforward on buildings of regular geometric shape, it is a challenge when dealing with ruins at archaeological sites. Therefore, a test site was established in the San Ignacio Miní site to evaluate performance.
Magadán, Marcelo L.; Korth, Gisela M. A.; Cedrola, Marcela L.; Charola, A. Elena and Pozzobon, José L.: "Case Study: Biocontrol Testing at the San Ignacio Miní Jesuit-Guaraní Mission, Misiones, Argentina". Included in: "Biocolonization of Stone: Control and Preventive Methods: Proceedings from the MCI Workshop Series" de Charola, A. Elena, McNamara, Christopher, and Koestler, Robert J. editores. Smithsonian Contributions to Museum Conservation, N° 2. : Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press. pp. 91–98. Washington DC, Estados Unidos, 2011.Saltar al contenido del PDF