Gómez-Alarcón G, de la Torre M A
Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, CSIC, Madrid.
Microbiologia. 1994 Mar-Jun;10(1-2):111-20.
Present studies related to stone weathering demonstrate that the biological activity of bacteria, algae, fungi and lichens play an important role in the biodegradative processes implied in stone building decay. In natural environments is not possible to separate the damage provoked by microorganisms from damage caused by physical and chemical agents. In vitro assays carried out with microbes isolated from weathered stones are required in order to understand the biological mechanisms involved in stone deterioration. We have demonstrated, by means of different techniques as commented in the text, that filamentous fungi contribute greatly to stone biodeterioration by using different mechanisms: (a) mechanical (hyphae growth and penetration in stony substrate); and (b) biochemical (organic acid excretion, cation release, chelation and deposition of organic salts, precipitation of neoformation salts and metals oxidation).
目前与石材风化相关的研究表明，细菌、藻类、真菌和地衣的生物活性在石材建筑腐朽所涉及的生物降解过程中发挥着重要作用。在自然环境中，不可能将微生物造成的损害与物理和化学因素造成的损害区分开来。为了了解石材劣化所涉及的生物学机制，需要对从风化石材中分离出的微生物进行体外试验。正如文中所述，我们通过不同技术证明，丝状真菌通过不同机制对石材生物劣化有很大贡献：（a）机械作用（菌丝在石质基质中的生长和穿透）；以及（b）生化作用（有机酸分泌、阳离子释放以及有机盐的螯合和沉积、新形成盐的沉淀和金属氧化）。
