Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Microbial Deterioration of Heritage Monuments in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India


Affiliations
1 Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan 731 235, India
2 Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah 711 103, India
 

Microbial deterioration of monuments and facades of heritage buildings is a well-known and a widely recognized problem in India and the world over. Several stone monuments of archaeological importance, belonging to period from the 1st to 12th century AD in many regions of India have become obliterated, defaced and disfigured due to the colonization of blackish/brownish growth of biofilms on their exposed surfaces, causing aesthetic/structural disfigurement and damage1,2. The main species of these biofilms thriving on Indian monuments are cyanobacteria, which are stress-tolerant and can survive in the adverse condition of desiccation and extreme temperature of stones3–5. During the onset of monsoon, these blackish/brownish biofilms become greenish after absorbing moisture and utilize the minerals present in the stone substrata to grow. This is the main cause of deterioration of these important monuments6–8. Certain species of cyanobacteria which dominate these biofilms, develop survival strategies by secreting a thick sheath of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) resulting into crust formation under adverse conditions and desiccation9,10. These cyanobacteria are also rich in UV-sunscreen pigments like scytonemin and mycosporine- like amino acids (MAAs)11 which act as a protective mechanism against desiccation and intense solar radiation12,13.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Adhikary, S. P., Indian J. Microbiol., 2000, 40, 67–81.

  • Keshari, N. and Adhikary, S. P., Biofouling, 2013, 29(5), 525–536.

  • Roy, A., Tripathy, P. and Adhikary, S. P., Algol. Stud., 1997, 86, 147–161.

  • Samad, L. K. and Adhikary, S. P., Algae, 2008, 23(2), 91–114.

  • Tripathy, P., Roy, A., Anand, N. and Adhikary, S. P., Feddes Repert., 1999, 110(1–2), 133–144.

  • Scheerer, S., Ortega-Morales, O. and Gaylarde, C., Adv. Appl. Microbiol., 2009, 66, 97–139.

  • Dakal, T. C. and Cameotra, S. S., Environ. Sci. Eur., 2012, 24(1), 1.

  • McNamara, C. J. and Mitchell, R., Front. Ecol. Environ., 2005, 3(8), 445–451.

  • Pócs, T., Acta Bot. Hung., 2009, 51(1–2), 147–178.

  • Rossi, F., Micheletti, E., Bruno, L., Adhikary, S. P., Albertano, P. and DePhilippis, R., Biofouling, 2012, 28(2), 215– 224.

  • Adhikary, S. P. and Sahu, J. K., J. Plant Physiol., 1998, 153, 770–773.

  • Oren, A. and Gunde-Cimerman, N., FEMS Microbiol. Lett., 2007, 269(1), 1– 10.

  • Sinha, R. P. and Häder, D. P., Plant Sci., 2008, 174(3), 278–289.

  • Keshari, N. and Adhikary, S. P., Int. Biodeterior. Biodegrad., 2014, 90, 45– 51.

  • Keshari, N. and Adhikary, S. P., In Cyanobacteria: An Economic Perspective (eds Sharma, N. K., Rai, A. K. and Stal, L. J.), Wiley Blackwell, UK, 2013, pp. 73–90.

  • Keshari, N., Das, S. K. and Adhikary, S. P., Eur. J. Phycol., 2015, 50(4), 395– 399.

  • Keshari, N., Das, S. K. and Adhikary, S. P., Phytotaxa, 2016, 283(2), 181– 187.

  • Adhikary, S. P., Keshari, N., Urzi, C. and DePhilppis, R., Algol. Stud., 2015, 147, 67–93.

  • Rippka, R., Deruelles, J., Waterbury, J. B., Herdman, M. and Stanier, R. Y., Microbiology, 1979, 111(1), 1–61.

  • Nübel, U., Garcia-Pichel, F. and Muyzer, G., Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 1997, 63(8), 3327–3332.

  • Tamura, K., Stecher, G., Peterson, D., Filipski, A. and Kumar, S., Mol. Biol. Evol., 2013, 30(12), 2725–2729.


Abstract Views: 410

PDF Views: 142




  • Microbial Deterioration of Heritage Monuments in Santiniketan, West Bengal, India

Abstract Views: 410  |  PDF Views: 142

Authors

Nitin Keshari
Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan 731 235, India
Sudipta Kumar Das
Central National Herbarium, Botanical Survey of India, Howrah 711 103, India
Siba Prasad Adhikary
Department of Biotechnology, Institute of Science, Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan 731 235, India

Abstract


Microbial deterioration of monuments and facades of heritage buildings is a well-known and a widely recognized problem in India and the world over. Several stone monuments of archaeological importance, belonging to period from the 1st to 12th century AD in many regions of India have become obliterated, defaced and disfigured due to the colonization of blackish/brownish growth of biofilms on their exposed surfaces, causing aesthetic/structural disfigurement and damage1,2. The main species of these biofilms thriving on Indian monuments are cyanobacteria, which are stress-tolerant and can survive in the adverse condition of desiccation and extreme temperature of stones3–5. During the onset of monsoon, these blackish/brownish biofilms become greenish after absorbing moisture and utilize the minerals present in the stone substrata to grow. This is the main cause of deterioration of these important monuments6–8. Certain species of cyanobacteria which dominate these biofilms, develop survival strategies by secreting a thick sheath of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) resulting into crust formation under adverse conditions and desiccation9,10. These cyanobacteria are also rich in UV-sunscreen pigments like scytonemin and mycosporine- like amino acids (MAAs)11 which act as a protective mechanism against desiccation and intense solar radiation12,13.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv116%2Fi5%2F709-711