  Massive stellar clusters provide radiation ($\mathrm{\sim
10^7-10^8~L_{\odot}}$) and winds ($\mathrm{\sim 1000~km/s}$) that act to heat
dust and shape their surrounding environment. In this paper, the Arched
Filaments in the Galactic center were studied to better understand the
influence of the Arches cluster on its nearby interstellar medium (ISM). The
Arched Filaments were observed with the Faint Object InfraRed CAMera for the
SOFIA Telescope (FORCAST) at 19.7, 25.2, 31.5, and 37.1 $\mu$m.
Color-temperature maps of the region created with the 25.2 and 37.1 $\mu$m data
reveal relatively uniform dust temperatures (70-100 K) over the extent of the
filaments ($\sim 25$ pc). Distances between the cluster and the filaments were
calculated assuming equilibrium heating of standard size ISM dust grains
($\sim$0.1 $\mu$m). The distances inferred by this method are in conflict with
the projected distance between the filaments and the cluster, although this
inconsistency can be explained if the characteristic grain size in the
filaments is smaller ($\sim$0.01 $\mu$m) than typical values. DustEM models of
selected locations within the filaments show evidence of depleted abundances of
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) by factors of $\sim$1.6-10 by mass
compared to the diffuse ISM. The evidence for both PAH depletion and a smaller
characteristic grain size points to processing of the ISM within the filaments.
We argue that the eroding of dust grains within the filaments is not likely
attributable to the radiation or winds from the Arches cluster, but may be
related to the physical conditions in the Galactic center.
