Heat shock tretaments: a new safe approach against lichen growth on outdoor stone surfaces

The control of lichen growth, particularly important in the field of stone conservation of outdoor monuments, largely depends on the use of biocides, that may be dangerous for the users, the environment and the substratum. A new, alternative approach is proposed, which makes the most of a poorly known peculiarity of poikilohydrous organisms: they are thermo-tolerant (up to 65-70°C) when dry, but thermo-sensitive when wet. The efficacy of thermal treatments (range: 20-55°C), in parallel to the application of three biocides, was verified in the laboratory with six epi- and endolithic lichens. Chlorophyll a fluorescence emission was checked in treated and non-treated samples of all the species, whereas histochemical observations with a dead cell stain were carried out on one of them. The feasibility of the thermal treatments in the field was verified with a seventh species. The results confirm that a 6-hour treatment at 55°C is sufficient to kill the lichens if they are kept fully hydrated. At 40°C the organisms are damaged: in this case biocides at concentrations ten times lower than in normal applications can profitably be used. The new protocol is simple, the field equipment cheap, and the negative effects associated with standard biocide treatments are absent.