The remit of this working group includes the evaluation of current measurement techniques available for the monitoring/characterization of an artwork and its environment. Such techniques have many applications including: (i) characterization of the state of an artwork prior to intervention (thereby allowing choice of the most appropriate form of treatment), (ii) characterization of the response of an artwork to its  environment under different weathering conditions and (iii) on-line process (cleaning) control.
                 The main focus of WG3 is exploitation of advances in laser and electro-optic technologies for development of cost-effective and non-invasive in situ environmental monitoring instruments. These will allow fast, accurate monitoring of the local environment to which an artwork is exposed, thereby enabling detailed study of the effect of various environmental parameters on the artwork and the causes of deterioration. Research and technological innovations are needed to address this issue as the detection sensitivities required for artwork environmental monitoring are orders of magnitude lower than those required for outdoor pollution monitoring. WG3 will address this challenge through collaborative research and development.
                The members of all Working Groups.