DENVER, Aug. 18, 2024 — Brightly colored, cloth-bound books from the Victorian era may contain toxic dyes that pose health risks. Researchers tested a university’s book collection and found some volumes could be unsafe to handle. These books might be in public libraries, universities, or private collections. The study will be presented at the American Chemical Society’s fall meeting.
The study began when Lipscomb librarians asked the university’s chemistry department to test the brightly colored, fabric-covered books from the 19th and early 20th centuries in their library. Inspired by the Winterthur Museum’s discovery of a toxic arsenic compound in similar books, which led to the Poison Book Project, Lipscomb researchers started their investigation in 2022 to find harmful pigments in their books.
For the Lipscomb book project, the team used three techniques:
- XRF: To check for arsenic and other heavy metals in the book covers.
- ICP-OES: To measure the amount of these metals.
- XRD: To identify the pigment molecules containing these metals, which were used for the first time in books.
Their findings showed high levels of lead and chromium in some books, with XRD revealing the presence of lead(II) chromate, a pigment used by artists like Van Gogh.
The researchers found more lead than chromium in the book covers, which was unexpected since lead(II) chromate should have equal amounts of both. They think other lead-based pigments, like lead(II) oxide or lead(II) sulfide, might have been used. The team is working to identify these compounds.
They also checked if the heavy metals in the books could harm librarians handling them. Some books had metal levels above the CDC’s safe limits. One sample had more than twice the lead limit and nearly six times the chromium limit, which could lead to serious health issues like cancer or lung damage.
Weinstein-Webb finds it fascinating that what was once considered safe, like these bright dyes, is now known to be harmful.
After finding dangerous dyes in some, the Lipscomb library sealed untested, colorful 19th-century books in plastic bags for safe handling and storage.
Books containing confirmed toxic dyes were removed from public access. Researchers plan to share their findings with the Poison Book Project and raise awareness about safe handling. They also encourage non-destructive testing methods like XRD for future investigations.
The researchers presented their results at the American Chemical Society (ACS) fall meeting.