Eco‐Friendly Strategies for Preserving Organic Monuments: The Potential of Wasabi as a Green Biodeterioration Inhibitor

Previous studies have confirmed the substantial fungicidal behavior of wasabi for the disinfection of biodeteriorated painted and nonpainted archaeological papyri. The present study aims to explore the broader application of wasabi to preserve other organic materials from biodeterioration. Experimental biodeteriorated samples were prepared (linen, paper, and two types of wood: (hardwood) sycamore and (softwood) cedar), samples were thermally aged and inoculated with mixed fungal cultures. 2.5% of wasabi vapor for 72 h could completely eradicate fungal growth in linen and softwood samples. However, the concentration rises to 10% to attain 100% fungal eradication in the case of paper and hardwood. After treatment, samples were subjected to deep evaluation as microbiological, mechanical, and chemical. The mechanical properties significantly improved as they reached 60.9% in the case of bending strength of cedar wood sample which is confirmed by FTIR analysis. No noticeable difference (Δ E < 1) was observed in sycamore and paper samples even at 10% wasabi, while a small difference was observed in the other samples. This study demonstrates that the use of wasabi as a safe fungicide can be extended to preserve archaeological wood, paper, and linen.