A piece of art depicting a face in red chalk that is believed to be a self-portrait by Leonardo da Vinci has been quickly deteriorating, but scientists hope they have developed technology that can help halt its breakdown.

Due to humidity exposure over the centuries, the piece has yellowed and deteriorates more each day, the Daily Mail reported.

"During the centuries, the combined actions of light, heat, moisture, metallic and acidic impurities and pollutant gases modify the white colour of ancient paper's main component: cellulose," said Joanna Łojewska, a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

Publishing their findings in a new study, researchers have developed a process to monitor the priceless work's deterioration by figuring out the concentration of the light-absorbing molecules that break down ancient paper over time.

"This phenomenon is known as 'yellowing,' which causes severe damage and negatively affects the aesthetic enjoyment of ancient art works on paper," said Lowjewska, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

The yellowing process happens when "chromophores within cellulose absorb the violet and blue range of visible light and largely scatter the yellow and red portions, resulting in the characteristic yellow-brown hue," said Olivia Pulci, a professor in the Physics Department at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

With a quantifiable way to measure how the paper absorbs light, researchers have learned more about the portrait as well as ways to preserve it and other ancient works of art.

"Using our approach, we were able to evaluate the state of degradation of Leonardo da Vinci's self-portrait and other paper specimens from ancient books dating from the 15th century," said Adriano Mosca Conte, a researcher at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, as quoted by the Daily Mail.

"The periodic repetition of our approach is fundamental to establishing the formation rate of chromophores within the self-portrait. Now our approach can serve as a precious tool to preserve and save not only this invaluable work of art, but others as well," Conte said.

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