Vanessa Thorpe writing an article in The Observer in London warns that:
A virulent infection is destroying the audio and videotapes once used to capture important moments of family life and great historic events. The fungal blight, or ‘tape mould’, has already ruined thousands of miles of audio and video tape in Britain and, according to specialist restorers, much more is likely to be deteriorating, unobserved, in storage. The infection of VHS cassettes and of the audio cassettes popular in the 1980s and 1990s is increasing at an alarming rate.
Here are some tips on preventing the spread of mould.
- Look for a fine white dust.
- Don’t play the damaged tape.
- Don’t place mouldy tapes near other newer tapes.
- Thoroughly wash your hands after handling an infected tape.
- Keep tapes in a dark, dry place away from heat.
