Introduction to the Focus Issue: Hazardous Heritage

In the past, hazardous substances that are now banned or restricted were widely used in objects, applications, and buildings. Many examples exist, such as mercury pendulums, lead white in paintings, arsenical bookbinders, asbestos in industrial heritage objects, and pesticides used to treat wood and textiles against insects. The bottom line is that these substances can appear in a range of items, from state-of-the-art pieces to the most mundane cultural heritage items. Today, these dangerous substances are still present in our living environment, as well as in museums and heritage institutions, where they pose a challenge and health risk. Interest in, and awareness of, this dangerous heritage has developed vastly in the twenty-first century. Research is not only on the safe handling and treatment of hazardous heritage but also on the history behind the materials and their significance.

The presence of hazardous substances in the heritage sector raises diverse challenges and questions, attracting professionals from various fields such as collection management, archaeology, chemistry, and (art) history. Given the wide range of approaches, hazardous substances, goals, topics, and types of heritage, we felt compelled to bring together these diverse viewpoints and researchers to learn from and inspire one another. This led to the organization of the two-day congress “Hazardous Heritage: Working with and Around Dangerous Materials in Cultural Heritage,” which took place at the University of Antwerp in October 2023. This special issue brings together publications based on presentations and sessions given during the congress. A more detailed elaboration on the congress and all presentations can be found in the Congress Review which is also published in this focus issue of the journal.

To summarize the congress, its program featured sixteen presentations, a poster session, two keynote presentations, and two excursions. All congress participants were offered the opportunity to submit either peer-reviewed articles or non-peer-reviewed notes from the field based on their presentations and posters. This focus issue features two keynote articles, five peer-reviewed articles based on presentations, and three notes from the field, one originating from a presentation and two from poster presentations. The contributions primarily explore chemical hazards, particularly focusing on asbestos, biocides—such as pesticides and wood preservatives—, heavy metals, and pharmaceutical collections. Other hazards, including biological, physical, and accident-related hazards, are discussed in only one article. Most contributions focus on hazards associated with museum collections, library collections, or built heritage. While some articles emphasize strategies to prevent exposure to harmful substances, others highlight the cultural heritage value of hazardous heritage.

The following topics are covered in this focus issue and categorized according to the sessions that took place during the congress. Helene Tello (keynote) and Henna Sinisalo submitted articles on “Heritage and Health Hazards.” The following session was on “Hazardous Heritage as Difficult Heritage” and features articles from Arthur McIvor (keynote), Doris Blancquaert and Hélène Verreyke, and Anne-Sofie Hjemdahl and Terje Planke, and a note from the field from Liisa Katariina Ruuska-Jauhijärvi. The final session focused on “Techniques for the Detection, Elimination, and Remediation of Material Hazards” and included two articles, one from Amy Baldwin, Paul Garside, and Nicole Monjeau, and another from Anna Fowler, Kerith Koss Schrager, and Nancie Ravenel, and two notes from the field from Rosie Grayburn and Melissa Tedone, and Saskia Van de Voorde and Zoë-Joy Vangansewinkel. In addition, the Congress Review was prepared by Liisa Katariina Ruuska-Jauhijärvi, Marleena Vihakara, and Doris Blancquaert.

During the congress, participants from diverse backgrounds and with different interests presented their ongoing research illustrating the diversity of hazardous heritage research and the challenges facing heritage professionals and academics. This accumulation of a variety of knowledge and disciplines within the field of hazardous heritage generated two inspiring days where participants broadened their research scope. For instance, material scientists learned more about the history behind the toxic substances they study, while historians were submersed in the scientific side of their research objects. This broad approach is reflected in the articles of this special issue. We hope that they inspire others to dive into this fascinating aspect of heritage sciences and that they demonstrate an urgency to consciously deal with harmful substances in heritage.

The Hazardous Heritage congress and this focus issue of the journal Collections would not have been accomplished without the efforts of the following persons and institutions. First of all, our thanks go to the editor of the journal, Juilee Decker, who supported us throughout the process of making this special issue. We are also deeply grateful to Cathy Hawks, conservator at the Smithsonian Institution, for introducing us to Juilee Decker and facilitating this collaboration. We also thank the authors who contributed to the congress and wrote an article for this issue. Special thanks go to the peer reviewers who challenged the authors to probe deeper into their subject and write excellent articles. The Hazardous Heritage congress was made possible through the support of the following institutions in Belgium: the University of Antwerp, the University of Ghent, the Flemish Center for Industrial Heritage, the Government of Flanders, and the Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO); and in Finland: the University of Helsinki and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. Finally, we would like to acknowledge the following people: the congress organizers, the scientific committee, and the congress participants and visitors.