Airborne particles in the Miyagi Museum of Art in Sendai, Japan, studied by electron probe X-ray microanalysis and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis.

The presented work provides baseline data on the existing airborne conditions in the Miyagi Museum of Art in Sendai, Japan, during the summer of 2000. The chemical composition, size and indoor and outdoor origin of the suspended particulate matter were identified using a number of advanced X-ray techniques, such as Electron Probe X-Ray Microanalysis (EPXMA) and Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (EDXRF). Our results, to the best of our knowledge, represent the first detailed study of the chemical nature of the indoor particulate matter in a Japanese museum and, as such, may contribute to future improvements of the air quality inside museums and to the lasting conservation of works of art.