The deputy director of Al-Fadl Centre for Conservation and Preservation of Heritage of the department, Mr. Ali Muhammad Jassim, said that "the task of the laboratory is to biologically examine the documents and manuscripts, ensure their safety and preserve the safety of those working on against fungal, bacterial and insect infections."
He added: "Any recent document or manuscript that enters the library and manuscript house of the Holy Shrine of al-Abbas is examined to determine the type of paper or leather used in the packaging, and is sterilised before being introduced into the fortified room.
Regarding the stages of examination and sterilisation, Jassem explained: "The first step is to detect infections which are either microscopic and caused by fungi and bacteria or visible caused by rodents and insects. After that, a process is conducted to examine the strength and durability of the leaves and determine their quality and the nature of their fibres."
He continued, "The third step is to take swabs from all the papers, and these swabs are placed in the incubator for 48 hours to find out the type of infection. If the manuscript is infected, it is placed in a sterilisation device containing ethanol and butane alcohol and distilled water for 72 hours."
Jassim attributed the reason for the injuries to documents and manuscripts to the fact that "papers and inks are made of natural materials, so they are very susceptible to infection by fungi, bacteria and insects", noting that "injuries to documents occur due to changes at high temperatures or poorly preserved, such as leather. They become infected if stored incorrectly or exposed to high temperatures and humidity.
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