Certain vibrant, cloth-bound books originating from the Victorian era might actually pose health risks due to their dye content. Recent studies have employed three different methods—one of which has never before been used on books—to check for harmful dyes in a university collection, revealing that some of these books may not be safe to handle.
If you encounter colorful, cloth-covered books from the Victorian period, it’s wise to approach them with caution, or perhaps even avoid them entirely. The stunning colors may derive from dyes that can be hazardous to readers, collectors, or librarians. Recent research focused on these so-called ‘poison books’ used three techniques—one of which is a novel application for book assessment—to analyze harmful dyes in a university collection, discovering that some items could present safety issues when handled.
The study’s findings will be presented at the upcoming fall meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
“These older books with toxic dyes could be found in universities, public libraries, and private collections,” explains Abigail Hoermann, an undergraduate student in chemistry at Lipscomb University. People risk exposure if pigments from the book covers transfer onto their skin or become airborne. “Our goal is to facilitate understanding of the risks associated with these books and provide guidance on how to store them securely.” Hoermann, along with recent graduate Jafer Aljorani and fellow student Leila Ais, has joined forces with Joseph Weinstein-Webb, an assistant professor of chemistry at Lipscomb, to pursue this study.
The investigation was prompted after Lipscomb librarians Jan Cohu and Michaela Rutledge approached the chemistry department to analyze the vividly colored, fabric-covered books from the school’s Beaman Library dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries. Weinstein-Webb became interested after learning that the Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library had previously researched its own 19th-century books for arsenic compounds, particularly copper acetoarsenite. This vivid green pigment was historically used in Victorian wallpaper, clothing, and, as Winterthur discovered, in book covers. This revelation spurred the development of the Poison Book Project, a collaborative research initiative aimed at identifying toxic pigments in books worldwide using X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Raman spectroscopy, and other techniques. Weinstein-Webb and the students he enlisted commenced their own investigation in 2022.
For their project, the Lipscomb team employed three different spectroscopic techniques:
- XRF to qualitatively ascertain if arsenic or other heavy metals were detectable in any book covers.
- Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to measure the concentration of these metals.
- X-ray diffraction (XRD) to pinpoint the specific pigment molecules containing those metals.
While XRD has previously been utilized to study paintings and wallpapers, Ais notes this marks the first application of XRD for detecting toxins in books. The XRD analysis is being conducted in partnership with Janet Macdonald at Vanderbilt University.
Recently, the researchers utilized XRF data to confirm the presence of lead and chromium in some of the Lipscomb books. To quantify these metals, they carefully extracted samples roughly the size of a paperclip from the cloth covers and dissolved them in nitric acid. Analysis via ICP-OES revealed that both lead and chromium were present at concerning levels in certain samples. Further XRD testing indicated that in some cases, these heavy metals were found as lead(II) chromate, known for its role in the chrome yellow pigment used by Vincent van Gogh in his sunflower artworks.
However, the levels of lead were significantly higher than those of chromium in the book covers, which raises questions since lead(II) chromate contains equal quantities of both metals. The researchers suggest that the dyes may contain additional lead-based pigments lacking chromium, such as lead(II) oxide or lead(II) sulfide. The team is focused on identifying these other yellow pigment compounds.
Weinstein-Webb and his students also aimed to determine whether the heavy metal levels in the Lipscomb books could endanger librarians handling them. For several book covers, the study found metal levels exceeding the acceptable chronic exposure limits defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the most contaminated cover sample, lead levels were over twice the CDC threshold, and chromium levels were nearly six times the limit. Long-term inhalation exposure to lead or chromium can pose serious health risks, including cancer, lung issues, or fertility problems.
“It’s intriguing to uncover how previous generations considered these materials safe, only for us to discover they may not have been the best choices for creating beautiful colors,” says Weinstein-Webb.
As a precaution, the Lipscomb library has begun sealing colorful 19th-century books that remain untested inside plastic zip-close bags for safe handling and storage. In cases where dangerous dyes have been confirmed, those books have also been placed in bags and withdrawn from public access.
After conducting more tests, the researchers plan to share their findings with the Poison Book Project and help increase awareness about the safe handling, care, and storage of these books among librarians and collectors.
They also encourage others to adopt XRD methods since this approach doesn’t require damaging books for testing. “Looking ahead,” Hoermann states, “we aspire to enable libraries to assess their collections without causing any harm to the materials.”
This research received financial support from Lipscomb University’s chemistry department.
