Just How Many Heavy Metals Are Found in Old Books?

Veuer

A new study presented at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society last month found dangerous heavy metals such as lead and chromium in 19th-century book covers. Veuer’s Matt Hoffman reports.

Transcript

00:00Old books might contain something dangerous, and we don't mean outdated ideas.

00:05A new study presented at the fall meeting of the American Chemical Society last month

00:09analyzed the pigments in Victorian-era book covers.

00:12The researchers found dangerous heavy metals such as lead and chromium

00:16in some cases above the CDC's acceptable limits for chronic exposure.

00:20The books were analyzed using X-ray fluorescence, inductively coupled

00:24plasma optical emission spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction.

00:28Although this is one of the most technically advanced studies on the subject,

00:31toxic book covers have been a concern for years.

00:34According to the Washington Post, the Poison Book Project has been looking into the issue since 2019,

00:39when co-founder Melissa Tudone discovered arsenic in the cover of a book she was repairing.

00:44Tudone told Newsweek in May that 19th century books from Britain and North America

00:48are the most likely to contain hazardous materials.

00:51Science Alert says that casual contact with such books is unlikely to be dangerous,

00:55but professionals like librarians who handle them regularly could face health risks.

Category

Transcript

Recommended