Acoustic Emission for Non-invasive Monitoring of Indigenous Collections

Pest infestation represents a significant threat to heritage collections, necessitating rapid detection methods. Conventional methods such as quarantine or sticky traps are time-consuming, provide limited information and can lead to unnecessary preventive treatment, generating significant costs. This research investigates the use of acoustic emission (AE) as a non-invasive technique to detect active infestation in collections, while enhancing the integrated pest management (IPM) strategy of the Canadian Museum of History (CMH). As this museum hosts Indigenous art objects, discussions with Indigenous professionals were conducted to ensure the ethical use of AE. Discussion with Indigenous representative professionals showed positive views on the use of AE as a non-invasive diagnostic tool. Validating the use of the technique beforehand is still necessary, as authorization may vary depending on the nature and usage of the objects. Experiments were conducted using Vallen® AE equipment, on both infested and healthy samples. The coupling materials used were Renaissance® wax, solvent-free spray cyclododecane (CDD) and mechanical methods such as ribbons or weights. Results confirmed the great efficiency of AE for detecting woodboring insect activity due, among other factors, to low attenuation in wooden artefacts. Conversely, attenuation in textiles and paper was found to be too high for reliable monitoring with the set-ups tested. Additional findings highlight the impact of surface shape, grain orientation and wood moisture content on AE signal transmission. This research presents AE as a promising non-invasive tool, for monitoring Indigenous collections while stating its limitations. It also introduces new elements and perspectives that could serve as foundations for future research.