Explore the dangerous and toxic world of Victorian-era books, where some are still posing a threat to librarians and booksellers. The culprit? Toxic dyes made with lead and chromium used to make the fabric covers more attractive in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
The chemists at Lipscomb University in the United States conducted a study presented at the American Chemical Society congress, revealing the presence of these hazardous materials in vintage books. “These old books with toxic dyes could be found in universities, public libraries, and private collections,” says chemist Abigail Hoermann, emphasizing the importance of identifying and safely preserving these historical artifacts.
The study started after librarians at Lipscomb University requested testing on brightly-colored fabric-bound books dating back to the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Using various analytical techniques including X-ray fluorescence to detect arsenic and heavy metals, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy to measure metal concentrations, and X-ray diffraction to identify pigment molecules, the researchers unveiled the hidden dangers lurking within these books.
The results showed alarming levels of lead and chromium in various samples, with some containing lead chromate, a yellow pigment famously used in Vincent van Gogh’s Sunflowers. However, the books exhibited much higher concentrations of lead compared to chromium, indicating the use of other dyes with varying metal concentrations. Researchers are now actively investigating these alternative pigments.
As a precaution, the books have been sealed in plastic and taken out of circulation due to lead and chromium concentrations exceeding the acceptable exposure limits set by US health authorities.
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