THE BIODETERIORATION OF MATERIALS -AN APPRAISAL

The biodeterioration of materials is one of the oldest problems of mankind, as testified by Homer, the pyramids, the Bible and other venerable sources of knowledge. Empirical knowledge of the phenomenon and of ways to cope with it are common knowledge. As a branch of science, however, the study of the biodeterioration of materials is still in its infancy. Though the deterioration of wood as a branch of phytopathology and the control of fouling on shipsʹ hulls as a branch of technology dated already from the 19th century it is only in the last few decades that a more general appreciation of the problem has come to the fore. It is worthwhile to consider the biodeterioration of materials, rooted in applied biology and technology of materials, as to its place among the sciences. A comparison of the concepts ʹbiodegradationʹ and ʹbiodeteriorationʹ leads to a consideration of the manifold relations between organisms and materials and to a systematization of these fields of science. By inverting the problem and posing the question, ʹWhy do not all materials suffer from biodeterioration?ʹ its limits may be appreciated.