Sniffing out museums' decaying plastic artefacts

Sniffing out volatile compounds released by certain polymers could help museums diagnose degradation in plastic artefacts such as celluloid film and old toys. Although many plastic items are made to be thrown away once they reach the end of their usefulness, some objects – works of art specifically made out of synthetic polymers or even regular household items – have made it into museums. However, few museums keep many plastic items so little is known about how to analyse and conserve them.