Toxic Tomes: Understanding the Use and Risks of Heavy Metals in Nineteenth-Century Bookcloth

Abstract

The Poison Book Project is an ongoing investigation into the use of heavy metal pigments in nineteenth-century bookbinding cloth and the risks associated with handling books bound in such cloth. A spectrum of pigment colors and toxicities are briefly explored. The most toxic heavy metals identified in bookcloth include arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury, with arsenic being the most acutely toxic. The primary methods of analysis used by project researchers are X-ray fluorescence and Raman spectroscopy; however, non-instrumental identification methods for confirming the presence of arsenic are also considered. Bookcloth production techniques evolved over the course of the century and may influence the friability of finished bookcloth. Considerations about the varying friability of differently colored bookcloths inform handling advice.