Now, many government and institutional archives are installing dehumidifiers to promote the improvement of档案 preservation efforts. However, due to a lack of档案 preservation expertise among some archive management staff, they simply use the amount of water extracted by the dehumidifier as a measure of its effectiveness. In fact, more water extracted by the dehumidifier does not necessarily mean better dehumidification results.
Why, you ask? Firstly, the basis for evaluating the effectiveness of dehumidification is not the amount of water the dehumidifier extracts, but rather the change in relative humidity within the storage room. The National Archives Administration has set the relative humidity range for our country's archive storage rooms at 45-60%. This range is most beneficial for maintaining the durability of the materials used in the production of archives, and is unfavorable for the growth and development of pests and mold. The purpose of using a wheel dehumidifier is to lower the excessive relative humidity within the storage room to this specified range. If this is achieved, the dehumidification is considered effective; otherwise, it is deemed ineffective. The dehumidifier condenses water vapor from the air within the storage room to extract it, which is simply the dehumidification process. The amount of water extracted cannot be used as a basis for evaluating the effectiveness of dehumidification.
Furthermore, whether a dehumidifier can maintain the relative humidity within the national standard in the storage room is closely related to the room's airtightness and moisture prevention. If the room is not airtight or not moisture-proof, even if the dehumidifier extracts a large amount of water every day, it cannot reduce the relative humidity in the room to the standard range. Therefore, when staff manage documents with the dehumidifier, they should pay attention to the changes in the relative humidity inside the room. Once the relative humidity falls within the standard range, the dehumidification process should be stopped.
