Poison Book Project

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This edition of Tallis's history and description of the Crystal palace, and the Exhibition of the world's industry in 1851 has been identified as having arsenical material in the bookcloth. Tallis's history and description of the Crystal palace, and the Exhibition of the world's industry in 1851; (IA tallisshistoryde01tall).pdf
This edition of Tallis's history and description of the Crystal palace, and the Exhibition of the world's industry in 1851 has been identified as having arsenical material in the bookcloth.

The Poison Book Project is a project of the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library and the University of Delaware to identify and catalog books known to contain poisonous substances, particularly arsenic in Paris green pigments. It was started in 2019 when Winterthur staff members Melissa Tedone and Rosie Grayburn identified a book containing Paris green in the institution's collection. The project has since confirmed at least 100 other books from libraries across the world that contain Paris green, allowing librarians to take measures to minimize the risk to those handling the books.

Contents

Origins

The project was started by Melissa Tedone, head of library materials conservation at the Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Delaware, United States. [2] In 2019, whilst conserving one of the library's books, the 1857 Rustic Adornments for Homes and Taste, she noticed through a microscope that fragments of the green pigment-dyed starch used to strengthen the bookcloth were flaking away. [2] Tedone gave samples to the museum's laboratory head Rosie Grayburn. [2] Grayburn used an x-ray fluorescence spectrometer on the substance which showed it contained copper and arsenic. [2]

The use of bookcloths as a cheaper replacement for leather bindings became popular in the 1840s. They were colored with pigments from a number of substances. One of these, Paris green, also known as emerald green, was an arsenic-based pigment that produced a vivid green color. [2] [3] It is estimated that tens of thousands of books were printed by the 1860s, when Paris green went out of fashion. [4]

Paris green bookcloths are unlikely to be a risk to the general public, but they might cause arsenic poisoning in those who handle the books frequently, such as librarians and researchers. [2] Paris green readily flakes into a dust, invisible to the naked eye, that coats nearby surfaces. Exposure to the dust can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat and might cause dizziness and nausea. The project has also identified other hazardous substances used in pigments, including lead, chromium, and mercury. These are less toxic than Paris green and less likely to flake when handled. [4] These pigments include chrome yellow, which contains lead, and vermillion, which contains mercury sulfide. [5]

Shortly after starting the project Tedone and Grayburn identified nine further books from the Winterthur collection that contained arsenic. [2] These were removed from general circulation and sealed in plastic bags. [2] An early project at the Library Company of Philadelphia found 28 books. [2]

Work

The project attempts to identify individual editions of historic books that contain hazardous materials such as arsenic. [6] The editions are added to a database that is shared so that institutions can check it against their collections. [5] The project wants to make sure librarians are aware of potentially hazardous books and take measures to store the books safely. [7]

The initial stage of checking new books begins with a visual assessment followed by x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy. Positive XRF results are confirmed by Raman spectroscopy by the Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation. Rarely, in complex cases, a sample of material is sent for destructive testing at the University of Delaware's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Soil Testing Program. [5]

By April 2022 the project had identified 88 books containing Paris green, of which more than 70 contained the pigment in their bookcloths (the remainder in illustrations or labels). [2] By September 2022 more than 101 books had been identified. [4] The project does not seek to have the books destroyed but rather kept in controlled conditions. [2] The project advertises itself with bookmarks showing examples of books containing Paris green; these have been sent to libraries in 49 US states and 19 countries abroad. [2] [4]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arsenic</span> Chemical element with atomic number 33 (As)

Arsenic is a chemical element with the symbol As and the atomic number 33. It is a metalloid and one of the pnictogens, and therefore shares many properties with its group 15 neighbors phosphorus and antimony. Arsenic is a notoriously toxic heavy metal. It occurs naturally in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal. It has various allotropes, but only the grey form, which has a metallic appearance, is important to industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poison</span> Substance that causes death, injury or harm to organs

A poison is any chemical substance that is harmful or lethal to living organisms. The term is used in a wide range of scientific fields and industries, where it is often specifically defined. It may also be applied colloquially or figuratively, with a broad sense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxic waste</span> Any unwanted material which can cause harm

Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm. Mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemicals that can pollute the air and contaminate soil and water. Disposing of such waste is a major public health issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arsine</span> Chemical compound

Arsine (IUPAC name: arsane) is an inorganic compound with the formula AsH3. This flammable, pyrophoric, and highly toxic pnictogen hydride gas is one of the simplest compounds of arsenic. Despite its lethality, it finds some applications in the semiconductor industry and for the synthesis of organoarsenic compounds. The term arsine is commonly used to describe a class of organoarsenic compounds of the formula AsH3−xRx, where R = aryl or alkyl. For example, As(C6H5)3, called triphenylarsine, is referred to as "an arsine".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library</span> Museum and estate in Delaware, US

Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library is an American estate and museum in Winterthur, Delaware. Winterthur houses one of the richest collections of Americana in the United States. The museum and estate were the home of Henry Francis du Pont (1880–1969), Winterthur's founder and a prominent antiques collector and horticulturist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Realgar</span> Arsenic sulfide mineral

Realgar, also known as ″arsenic blende″, ″ruby sulphur″ or ″ruby of arsenic″, is an arsenic sulfide mineral with the chemical formula α-As4S4. It is a soft, sectile mineral occurring in monoclinic crystals, or in granular, compact, or powdery form, often in association with the related mineral, orpiment. It is orange-red in color, melts at 320 °C, and burns with a bluish flame releasing fumes of arsenic and sulfur. Realgar is soft with a Mohs hardness of 1.5 to 2 and has a specific gravity of 3.5. Its streak is orange colored. It is trimorphous with pararealgar and bonazziite.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orpiment</span> Orange-yellow arsenic sulfide mineral

Orpiment, also known as ″yellow arsenic blende″ is a deep-colored, orange-yellow arsenic sulfide mineral with formula As
2
S
3
. It is found in volcanic fumaroles, low-temperature hydrothermal veins, and hot springs and may be formed through sublimation.

<i>Arsenic and Old Lace</i> (play) Play by Joseph Kesselring

Arsenic and Old Lace is a play by American playwright Joseph Kesselring, written in 1939. It has become best known through the 1944 film adaptation starring Cary Grant and directed by Frank Capra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Title page</span> Page at or near the front of a book on which its publishing information is displayed

The title page of a book, thesis or other written work is the page at or near the front which displays its title, subtitle, author, publisher, and edition, often artistically decorated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lead paint</span> Paint containing lead compounds as pigments

Lead paint or lead-based paint is paint containing lead. As pigment, lead(II) chromate, lead(II,IV) oxide,, and lead(II) carbonate are the most common forms. Lead is added to paint to accelerate drying, increase durability, maintain a fresh appearance, and resist moisture that causes corrosion. It is one of the main health and environmental hazards associated with paint. Lead paint has been generally phased out of use due to the toxic nature of lead. Alternatives such as water-based, lead-free traffic paint are readily available.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arsenic trioxide</span> Chemical compound (industrial chemical and medication)

Arsenic trioxide is an inorganic compound with the formula As
2
O
3
. As an industrial chemical, its major uses include the manufacture of wood preservatives, pesticides, and glass. It is sold under the brand name Trisenox among others when used as a medication to treat a type of cancer known as acute promyelocytic leukemia. For this use it is given by injection into a vein.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris green</span> Highly toxic arsenic-based pigment

Paris green is an arsenic-based organic pigment. As a green pigment it is also known as Mitis green, Schweinfurt green, Sattler green, emerald, Vienna green, Emperor green or Mountain green. It is a highly toxic emerald-green crystalline powder that has been used as a rodenticide and insecticide, and also as a pigment. It was manufactured in 1814 to be a pigment to make a vibrant green paint, and was used by many notable painters in the 19th century. The color of Paris green is said to range from a pale blue green when very finely ground, to a deeper green when coarsely ground. Due to the presence of arsenic, the pigment is extremely toxic and in paintings, the color can degrade quickly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book cover</span> Protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book

A book cover is any protective covering used to bind together the pages of a book. Beyond the familiar distinction between hardcovers and paperbacks, there are further alternatives and additions, such as dust jackets, ring-binding, and older forms such as the nineteenth-century "paper-boards" and the traditional types of hand-binding. The term bookcover is also commonly used for a book cover image in library management software. This article is concerned with modern mechanically produced covers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scheele's Green</span> Highly toxic arsenic-based pigment

Scheele's Green, also called Schloss Green, is chemically a cupric hydrogen arsenite, CuHAsO
3
. It is chemically related to Paris Green. Scheele's Green was invented in 1775 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. By the end of the 19th century, it had virtually replaced the older green pigments based on copper carbonate. It is a yellowish-green pigment commonly used during the early to mid-19th century in paints as well as being directly incorporated into a variety of products as a colorant. It began to fall out of favor after the 1860s because of its toxicity and the instability of its color in the presence of sulfides and various chemical pollutants. The acutely toxic nature of Scheele's green as well as other arsenic-containing green pigments such as Paris Green may have contributed to the sharp decline in the popularity of the color green in late Victorian society. By the dawn of the 20th century, Scheele's green had completely fallen out of use as a pigment but was still in use as an insecticide into the 1930s. At least two modern reproductions of Scheele's green hue with modern non-toxic pigments have been made, with similar but non-identical color coordinates: one with hex#3c7a18 and another with hex#478800. The latter is the more typically reported color coordinate for Scheele's green.

Trimethylarsine (abbreviated TMA or TMAs) is the chemical compound with the formula (CH3)3As, commonly abbreviated AsMe3 or TMAs. This organic derivative of arsine has been used as a source of arsenic in microelectronics industry, a building block to other organoarsenic compounds, and serves as a ligand in coordination chemistry. It has distinct "garlic"-like smell. Trimethylarsine had been discovered as early as 1854.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1900 English beer poisoning</span> Food safety crisis

In 1900, more than 6,000 people in England were poisoned by arsenic-tainted beer, with more than 70 of the affected dying as a result. The food safety crisis was caused by arsenic entering the supply chain through impure sugar which had been made with contaminated sulphuric acid. The illness was prevalent across the Midlands and North West England, with Manchester being the most heavily affected.

<i>Shadows from the Walls of Death</i> Book containing dangerously toxic substances

Shadows from the Walls of Death: Facts and Inferences Prefacing a Book of Specimens of Arsenical Wall Papers is an 1874 book by Dr. Robert C. Kedzie (1823–1902) of Michigan.

Cultural heritage collections contain many materials known to be hazardous to the environment and to human health. Some hazardous substances may be an integral part of the object, applied as a treatment after the object was made or the result of material degradation. The toxicity of such objects in heritage collections can also determine their historic and scientific value. Consequently, management of these materials within collecting organisations can be complex in terms of health and safety.

References

  1. Arsenical books database
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Brower, Justin (April 28, 2022). "These green books are poisonous—and one may be on a shelf near you". National Geographic. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  3. "Rare book laced with deadly arsenic found in Leeds library". ITV News. October 28, 2022. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Sloan, Marisa (September 19, 2022). "Victorian-era Books Bound in Emerald Green Are Laced With Arsenic". Discover Magazine. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 Everhart, Megan M. F. (June 22, 2022). "Arsenic and old books". University of Delaware. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  6. "International poison project uncovers library's toxic tome". Leeds City Council News. October 22, 2022. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved March 23, 2023.
  7. "Leeds: Rare book laced with arsenic found in library". BBC News. October 28, 2022. Archived from the original on November 14, 2022. Retrieved March 23, 2023.