It may then be gently brushed off the record materials. Because the mold is merely dormant, if it remains on the record materials or is distributed throughout the space and onto other objects, it will grow whenever environmental conditions are favorable again. Ideally, the faster record materials are dried the better. However, some record materials may distort physically if dried too quickly. Contact a preservation professional for advice on how to handle moldy record materials of high value.
Many people are sensitive to mold and some mold species are toxic.
Moldy items should, therefore, be handled with extreme care. Do not proceed with any treatment once any negative health effects are observed, no matter how minor they appear. We have a halon fire suppression system. For 35 years, Halon 1301 fire suppression systems have been installed in cultural institutions as an alternative to water-based systems. Currently, there is no direct replacement for halon.