Old books can be both beautiful and toxic. Victorian book covers are sometimes known to contain heavy metal pigments such as lead, chromium and arsenic. Experts have found that in some cases, their concentrations even exceed safe levels.
During the study, experts used an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. It helped determine how many metals were contained in each of the 26 book covers.
The most metal-rich book cover had a chromium concentration of about 50 parts per million, well above the 4-25 parts per million that can cause skin reactions.
Fortunately, chrome yellow coatings don’t peel easily, so there’s a low risk of inhaling particles or transferring these heavy metals to your hands. However, arsenic-based emerald green pigment flakes off, making it more dangerous to human health.
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Source: Ferra
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