Strange Slime Covering Parts Of Jefferson Memorial
- 8 years ago
The Jefferson Memorial in Washington was once a shiny white monument, but over the past decade or so its dome has been taken over by a dark, slimy biofilm.
The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. was once a shiny white monument, but over the past decade or so its dome has developed quite a patina.
While aged finishes are desirable in some situations, this is not one of them.
In 2014, experts were tasked with removing the dark, somewhat slimy film, but are struggling to figure out how they’re going to make that happen.
The covering has been identified as a biofilm, and the microbes residing on the monument’s surface are proving difficult to evict.
Just going after the gunk with some bleach and a scrub brush isn’t an option, as that could cause harm to the marble surface.
Lasers are being considered as an option, as are a variety of chemical concoctions currently being tested by the conservation team.
Said a microbiologist working on the project, “To be honest, we have a lot of work to do.”
While no solution has yet been determined, the restorers remain hopeful one will eventually appear.
The Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C. was once a shiny white monument, but over the past decade or so its dome has developed quite a patina.
While aged finishes are desirable in some situations, this is not one of them.
In 2014, experts were tasked with removing the dark, somewhat slimy film, but are struggling to figure out how they’re going to make that happen.
The covering has been identified as a biofilm, and the microbes residing on the monument’s surface are proving difficult to evict.
Just going after the gunk with some bleach and a scrub brush isn’t an option, as that could cause harm to the marble surface.
Lasers are being considered as an option, as are a variety of chemical concoctions currently being tested by the conservation team.
Said a microbiologist working on the project, “To be honest, we have a lot of work to do.”
While no solution has yet been determined, the restorers remain hopeful one will eventually appear.