Biocleaning of Paraloid B72 and B82 acrylic resins: an exploratory study on increasing their bioavailability

Authors

  • Fabiana Martín-Caramés CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, España. https://orcid.org/0009-0009-0233-6820
  • Anxo Méndez CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, España. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2257-6732
  • Clara Fernández-Garrido CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, U. de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 - Santiago de Compostela, España.
  • Icía Pérez CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, España.
  • Patricia Sanmartín CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, España. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5733-8833

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37558/gec.v28i1.1442

Keywords:

bacteria, biodegradation, bioremoval, cleaning, investigative assays, microbial degradation, synthetic polymers

Abstract

Exploratory assays aimed at enhancing the susceptibility of acrylic resins to microbial attack (their bioavailability) and thus facilitating xenobiotic biocleaning were conducted. The capacity of Comamonas testosteroni, Enterobacter aerogenes and Rhodococcus erythropolis to degrade Paraloid B72 and B82 acrylic resins with different particle sizes was tested in liquid media. TweenÒ 80, TweenÒ 20 and DMSO were also tested as pretreatment agents with R. erythropolis and the largest resin particles. Paraloid degradation was measured by weight loss, and bacterial growth, redox potential and carbon content were also measured. The smaller resin particles appeared more susceptible to microbial attack. R. erythropoliswas the most promising bacterium for biocleaning. Although Paraloid B72 and B82 have a very similar chemical structure, the latter could be easier to clean than the former. Tween® 80 and to a lesser extent Tween® 20 appeared to increase the susceptibility of the resins to microbial attack.

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Author Biographies

Fabiana Martín-Caramés, CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, España.

Graduada en Biología (2021) y máster en Biodiversidad Terrestre: caracterización, conservación y gestión (2023) en la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC). Actualmente es investigadora predoctoral (2º año) en el programa de doctorado de Medioambiente y Recursos Naturales de la USC. Su trabajo de tesis se centra en el proyecto BIOXEN: BIOlimpieza de restos de materiales XENobióticos en rocas graníticas del patrimonio construido (PID 2021-123329NA-I00, 2022-2026). Durante 2025 ha realizado una estancia en la Università degli Studi di Milano (Italia) supervisada por Cristina Cattò y Francesca Cappitelli en el marco de su tesis doctoral.

Anxo Méndez, CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, España.

Graduado en Biología (2017, UVigo) y máster en Ingeniería Ambiental (2019, USC), cursando su último año en el programa de doctorado de Medioambiente y Recursos Naturales de la USC, habiendo ganado la ayuda de doctorado industrial de la Axencia Galega de Innovación de la Xunta de Galicia (04_IN606D_2021_2598528). Su investigación se centra en la aplicación de tecnologías ambientales (particularmente la iluminación ornamental) para la conservación preventiva del patrimonio arquitectónico, realizando su tesis doctoral en el marco del proyecto de Compra Pública Innovadora Smartiago-CromaLux (http://cromalux.santiagodecompostela.gal/en). Su actividad investigadora se ha realizado principalmente en la USC, pero ha realizado estancias, de las que han derivado varias publicaciones científicas y presentaciones en congresos, en la Slovak Academy of Science, Eslovaquia (2022) supervisada por Domenico Pangallo y el Getty Conservation Institute, Los Ángeles-EEUU (2023) supervisada por Davide Gulotta

Clara Fernández-Garrido, CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, U. de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 - Santiago de Compostela, España.

Graduada en Biología por la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC) (2021-2025), con orientación hacia la microbiología y biotecnología. Durante su último año de grado, ha enfocado su carrera hacia la investigación y estudio de las interacciones entre microorganismos y materiales pétreos para la conservación del patrimonio, apoyada por una beca de colaboración en investigación (24CO1/005135) del MEFPD tutorizada por Patricia Sanmartín.

Icía Pérez, CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, España.

Graduada en Biología (2025, USC). Ha orientado su trabajo de investigación en el último curso académico del grado a la aplicación de la biología para la conservación del patrimonio cultural, en concreto, a las interacciones entre los microorganismos y los materiales pétreos.

Patricia Sanmartín, CRETUS. Dpto. Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, España.

Investigadora Principal del proyecto BIOXEN: BIOlimpieza de restos de materiales XENobióticos en rocas graníticas del patrimonio construido (PID 2021-123329NA-I00, 2022-2026). Investigadora Ramón y Cajal (RYC2020-029987-I) en la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC). Licenciada en Química (2004) y doctora por el departamento de Edafología y Química Agrícola (2012), USC. Su actividad investigadora se ha desarrollado principalmente en la USC y también en las universidades de Alicante (2008 y 2009), Milán (2010, 2012 y 2015), Harvard (2013-2014) y Oxford (2019), donde ha trabajado en la microbiología del patrimonio cultural en piedra, los biofilms subaéreos (SABs), la biorreceptividad y el desarrollo de tecnologías ambientales innovadoras destinadas a gestionar, evaluar y mitigar los impactos naturales y humanos en el patrimonio en piedra.

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Published

2025-12-15

How to Cite

Martín-Caramés, F., Méndez, A., Fernández-Garrido, C., Pérez, I., & Sanmartín, P. (2025). Biocleaning of Paraloid B72 and B82 acrylic resins: an exploratory study on increasing their bioavailability. Ge-conservacion, 28(1), 213–223. https://doi.org/10.37558/gec.v28i1.1442

Issue

Vol. 28 No. 1 (2025): Ge-conservación Nº28

Section

Monográfico

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