Dangerous beauty: Victorian books may contain poisonous dyes

Vibrant fabric book covers from the Victorian era may pose health risks to readers, collectors, and librarians.

A group of researchers from Lipscomb University (USA) presented their findings at the fall conference of the American Chemical Society. They employed three analytical methods, one of which had not been previously applied to the study of books, to assess the presence of hazardous dyes in the university's collection.

Abigail Hoermann, a chemistry student at Lipscomb University, noted:

“Old books with toxic dyes may be stored in universities, public libraries, and private collections. Users are at risk if pigments from fabric covers come into contact with their hands or become airborne during inhalation.”

The investigation was initiated after librarians approached the university’s chemistry department to request an examination of brightly colored books from the 19th to early 20th centuries in the Biman Library (USA).

For their book analysis project, the Lipscomb team employed three spectroscopic methods:

• X-ray fluorescence (XRF) for qualitative screening for the presence of arsenic or other heavy metals in book covers.
• Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) for determining the concentrations of these metals.
• X-ray diffraction (XRD) for identifying molecules of pigments containing these metals.

The analysis revealed high concentrations of lead and chromium in some samples. Further studies indicated that these heavy metals were constituents of lead chromate—a compound that imparts a yellow hue to the pigment used by Vincent van Gogh in his sunflower paintings.

The researchers established that the levels of heavy metals in certain books exceeded safety thresholds for chronic exposure according to the standards set by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) In the most contaminated cover, the concentration of lead was twice the CDC limit, while that of chromium was nearly six times higher. Prolonged exposure to lead or chromium through inhalation can lead to health issues such as cancer, lung damage, or fertility problems.

Following these findings, the Lipscomb library sealed all bright-colored 19th-century books that had not yet been tested in plastic bags. Books confirmed to contain hazardous dyes were also sealed and removed from public access.

Source: Phys, Udel