In April, the National Library of France quarantined four 19th century books due to arsenic-laced covers, highlighting concerns over toxic dyes historically used in textiles.
Chemists from Lipscomb University presented their findings on Victorian books, revealing several contained lead levels over twice the CDC's safety limit, leading to wider toxicity investigations.
The Poison Book Project, a collaboration initiated in 2019, seeks to analyze Victorian-era books for toxic compounds like arsenic, reflecting an interdisciplinary approach to preservation.
Half of the tested 19th-century cloth-case bindings showed lead and other toxic metals, emphasizing the need for heightened awareness and safety measures in historical libraries.
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