Post by philatelia on Jan 26, 2024 14:49:07 GMT
greaden mentioned foxing in a post this morning and it reminded me of something I read. Here is the quote and the page where I found it;
... These stains are usually circular in shape and, even when uncoloured, display a natural fluorescence that is yellow under UV light. This is likely due to the presence of organic compounds and fungal structures or to the release of melanoidines [21,42,52]; • the abiotic theory -in which the stains are the result of chemical phenomena, such as oxidizing and/or heavy metal deposits. In this case, the stains are more irregular, according to the shape of the contaminating substance (metals, fragments or crystals of chemicals incorporated in the paper during its manufacturing), and display a blue fluorescence under UV light [21]. ...
www.researchgate.net/publication/248436693_Foxing_caused_by_Fungi_twenty-five_years_of_study
If this is true, you could test stamps with UV to see if foxing is the type that can spread because it is organic (yellow glow) OR inorganic (blue glow) and not likely to contaminate your other stamps.
Has anyone ever tried using UV lamps on foxing?
... These stains are usually circular in shape and, even when uncoloured, display a natural fluorescence that is yellow under UV light. This is likely due to the presence of organic compounds and fungal structures or to the release of melanoidines [21,42,52]; • the abiotic theory -in which the stains are the result of chemical phenomena, such as oxidizing and/or heavy metal deposits. In this case, the stains are more irregular, according to the shape of the contaminating substance (metals, fragments or crystals of chemicals incorporated in the paper during its manufacturing), and display a blue fluorescence under UV light [21]. ...
www.researchgate.net/publication/248436693_Foxing_caused_by_Fungi_twenty-five_years_of_study
If this is true, you could test stamps with UV to see if foxing is the type that can spread because it is organic (yellow glow) OR inorganic (blue glow) and not likely to contaminate your other stamps.
Has anyone ever tried using UV lamps on foxing?