Biodeterioration of wooden art objects has to be treated in a more delicate manner than biodeterioration of wood. Any treatment applied to the art object should not alter the visual, structural or scientific integrity of the object. These requirements therefore restrict the use of biocides and some alternative treatment procedures like high and low temperatures and radiation. Fortunately, an alternate procedure is available, anoxic treatment using argon gas, that has so far proven to be effective at killing all insects stages of life and some fungi important in wood degradation. The argon anoxic procedure is described in this paper.

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