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Air pollution harms terracotta warriors

Terracotta warriors

Air pollution may cause the arms of China's terracotta warriors to fall off (Image: Reuters/Andrew Wong)


So far, the figures have turned an oxidised grey from being exposed to air, but eventually noses and hairstyles may disappear, and arms may fall off, according to an article in the South China Morning Post.

"If nothing is done now, in 100 years the warriors may have corroded to such an extent that the pits will look just like a coal mine and not have any aesthetic value," says environmental scientist Cao Junji.

As a first step towards saving the warriors, which were discovered in 1974 near the northwest city of Xian, Chinese and US scientists have launched a two-year project to study the impact of indoor air pollutants, the paper says.

Cao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is behind an initiative to save the figures, which involves the Nevada-based Desert Research Institute and other scientific institutions.

Starting in September, researchers will send air samples on a regular basis to laboratories in Hong Kong, Nevada and Xian to identify possible airborne risks, the paper says.

But the ageing process can only be delayed, according to Cao, who could not say how many more years the warriors would last.

"Air pollution is a disease affecting cultural relics. [We cannot] wipe out air pollution, but we can alleviate and minimise it," he told the paper.

The Qin Dynasty (221BC to 206 BC) warriors had preserved much of their original colour until their discovery a generation ago, but since being disinterred and coming into contact with air, they have started fading.

It is estimated that the three underground pits in the area house 8000 life-size pottery warriors and horses. About 2000 have been unearthed so far, of which 1172 are on display, the paper reports.

Tags: erosion, science-and-technology, archaeology