Toxic pigments have been found in some historical books, posing a physical danger to readers. Looking at historical examples, it is quite possible to name thousands of books that are now banned in specific countries of the world – from The Bible to The Satanic Verses – as they may potentially endanger the readers’ health and lead to their moral degeneration. However, beyond moral concerns, some books are also physically toxic due to the toxic pigments used in their manufacturing. Research conducted by a team of scholars from Lipscomb University in the United States revealed that Victorian brightly coloured cloth-bound books and others from subsequent periods may be dangerous as they contain these hazardous chemicals.

The press release on the study found out that some of these dyes used for the bright colours used on these book covers posed serious health risks to the reader, book collectors and librarians. Comprising of lead or chromium these dyes according to the researchers are dangerous to health as they may cause cancer, lung complications, or even affect fertility. They also pointed out that the pigments in the cloth covers can be toxic if they get at skin or if the particles fly about and are ingested through breathing.

Toxic Pigments in Fabric-Covered Books: Methods and Findings of the Lipscomb University Study

The study is set to be presented at the American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting from August 18 to 22. Abigail Hoermann, a chemistry student who was part of the team doing the study from Lipscomb university said “These old books with toxic dyes may be in universities, public libraries and private collections.”

Toxic Pigments
Image Source: CDC

Joseph Weinstein-Webb, an assistant chemistry professor at Lipscomb said “I find it fascinating to know what previous generations thought was safe, and then we learn, oh, actually, that might not have been a great idea to use these brilliant dyes.”

The study investigated the books of fabric cover that are from the 19th and early 20th Century at the Beaman Library at the university. Three sophisticated spectroscopic techniques were employed to identify the toxic elements by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).

An X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis was conducted on the book covers for the presence of arsenic and other heavy metals, and the concentration of the elements was determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Since these metals were incorporated in the pigment molecules, x-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to characterize these pigments. The researchers found out that some of the books from Lipscomb University contain lead and chromium. In certain cases these metals were detected in the form of lead(II) chromate, a pigment that van Gogh is known to have used in his paintings such as sunflowers as pointed out in the release.

In some instances, metal concentrations in the books exceeded acceptable chronic exposure limits established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Lead levels were more than twice the CDC limit, while chromium levels were nearly six times higher. To mitigate risk, these potentially hazardous books have been sealed in plastic bags for safe handling and storage or removed from public access.

Previously, the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library in Delaware discovered copper acetoarsenite, an arsenic-based compound, in some 19th-century books from its collection. This emerald-green pigment, commonly used in Victorian-era wallpaper, clothing, and book covers, prompted the creation of the 'Poison Book Project.' This crowdsourced initiative employs diverse imaging and chemical processing techniques to identify toxic pigments in books globally. Researchers at Lipscomb University aim to add their findings to this ongoing project.

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