Overview
- The College of Wooster team presented lab tests and analysis of museum samples at the ACS Fall 2026 meeting on Tuesday showing prolonged high humidity can accelerate loss of phosphorescent glow.
- Controlled photophysical measurements found optical brighteners, which boost perceived brightness, degrade far faster than the underlying pigments and make colors appear darker even when dyes remain intact.
- Real-world samples from the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, including Stephen Sprouse items, often contained inorganic mineral pigments that the researchers say can speed the loss of glow.
- The study tested lithopone and similar mineral mixes to track how long materials retain charge and glow after light exposure, giving conservators a clearer view of how these materials age.
- The findings press museums to tighten humidity and storage practices and give manufacturers a clear target for making longer‑lasting phosphorescent paints and safety materials.