1. Introduction

Read more : How Long Can Coronavirus Live On Leather Gloves

There is significant debate concerning the wearing of gloves while handling paper-based cultural heritage objects within museums, archives, and conservation laboratories. Baker and Silverman’s 2005 paper “Misperceptions about White Gloves” [1], has led to widespread reviews of handling procedures in such organisations. Arguments presented by Baker and Silverman against the use of gloves included concerns around the loss of tactile response of users when handling fragile documents and some evidence that cotton gloves are not sufficient to protect against sweat permeation when handling objects [1]. They also note that paper objects will have already been handled significantly by bare human hands before their collection. Baker and Silverman [1] concluded that simple handwashing with soap and water before handling paper-based collections provides adequate protection against soiling, without dulling the valuable sense of touch [1]. Changes in some cultural heritage institutions’ recommended handling practices resulting from these arguments [[2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7], [8]] include the use of handwashing rather than glove use when handling paper artifacts, and to a lesser extent the introduction of antibacterial gels. Despite the significant anecdotal evidence among collection staff that handwashing is sufficient to reduce visible grime on objects, no published scientific evidence exists to support their conclusion that handling paper artifacts with washed hands leaves minimal non-damaging contamination. In Baker and Silverman’s [1] own words, “Given the widespread belief that routine handling of paper with bare hands chemically damages it, it is telling that our research uncovered no scientific evidence supporting this notion.” However, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, and an exploration of any potential impacts is warranted to support science-based collection handling guidelines.

The research presented here seeks to address the unproven assumption that clean hands do not contaminate objects in a meaningful way. The purpose of this research is to inform the debate on glove-wearing and glove alternatives so that conservators and curators can make an informed decision on their handling practices. The approach adopts a forensic mindset and employs forensic methods to assess whether ungloved contact with cleaned hands leave detectable traces on porous materials like paper. If fingermark deposition from clean hands can be established for paper artifact surrogates, an understanding of fingermark composition could then inform decisions on whether cumulative damage to the object is possible from these fingermark residues. Initially, however, Baker and Silverman’s supporting statements – that the composition of fingermarks are predominantly water and that gloves do not offer protection from sweat permeation – can be questioned based on current forensic literature.

You are viewing: Do Latex Gloves Show Fingerprints

Source: https://t-tees.com
Category: HOW