Ozone exposure inside museums in the historic central district of Krakow, Poland

Ozone present in the indoor atmosphere of museums can lead to the fading of organic artists’ pigments and textile dyes that are present in paintings, tapestries and historically important clothing exhibits. Ozone concentrations were measured in outdoor air and within the interior galleries of five institutions that house cultural properties in Krakow. The purpose of these experiments was to determine the degree of penetration of outdoor ozone into these museums, and in the case of the National Museum to determine the effectiveness of the existing ozone removal system at that site. It was found that those museums that are rapidly ventilated through many open doors and windows experienced indoor ozone concentrations about 42–44% as high as those outdoors. The Senatorʹs Hall at Wawel Castle, which houses important tapestries, experiences indoor ozone concentrations that are 17–19% of those outdoors due to ozone removal at interior surfaces during transit through the building from distant air intake points. Methods for further reduction of ozone concentrations in the specific museums studied are discussed.