Sustainable microenvironment control for earthen heritage sitesin archaeological museums using atomized water

Desiccation cracking poses a major threat to the long-term preservation of earthen heritage sites. Although archaeological museums typically regulate temperature and humidity to mitigate such damage, these indirect methods often fail to prevent surface moisture loss, allowing deterioration to persist. To address this, the study proposes a direct intervention using atomized water to create a stable microenvironment. An indoor soil column experiment was conducted to simulate its effects on moisture dynamics and salt transport. A coupled water–salt transport model, based on the Richards equation and Fick's law, was developed to assess system responses under varying water input levels. Results show that atomized water forms a high-humidity, low-temperature surface environment, significantly reducing evaporation. When input slightly exceeds evaporation, water can infiltrate up to 50 cm in 20 days, improving soil moisture and driving salt downward. This reduces surface salt accumulation and the risk of efflorescence. The study confirms atomized water as a safe and effective strategy for mitigating desiccation-induced damage in earthen sites, while offering theoretical guidance for optimizing environmental control in archaeological museums.