Context
The Tower of London, located in the middle of the City, is exposed to vehicle emission and industrial pollution from London and beyond. How much of that pollution gets inside the building and what effect might this have? Could pollution cause damage to the important artefacts on display?
Approach
We recently completed a collaborative project, funded by the European Commission, which measured the pollutant levels inside the Tower of London.
The project developed new ways to manage the impact of pollution on artefacts in our care, using a new ‘preventive conservation strategy’. We harnessed new technology to measure pollution levels so that when they get too high, we can take action before any damage is caused to the objects.
Getting results
Though the project has finished, we are continuing to use the technology to monitor pollution levels at the Tower of London to make sure that our showcases are performing to the highest standards to protect the valuable objects within.
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