Dortmund University Library examines Books from the 19th Century
Arsenic compounds were occasionally used in the production of 19th century books and magazines. Dortmund University Library is currently checking 1,000 freely accessible books for green staining.
Dortmund University Library only holds around 6,000 books from this period, of which 5,000 are currently stored in an external storage magazine and 1,000 are openly displayed. These copies are currently being manually checked for the corresponding coloring and separated in case of suspicion. So far, no suspicious book has been found. The volumes in the storage magazine are only checked when a loan request is made and would not be issued for the time being in the event of suspicion.
As long as the books are on the shelves, there is no health risk. According to toxicological assessments, there is only a risk if the books are leafed through and the finger is repeatedly moistened with spit, for example, so that traces could come loose and enter the body. Whether books with green coloring actually contain arsenic can only be determined by laboratory analysis. Protective measures, such as wearing disposable gloves, must be observed during testing.
It is currently not possible to determine exactly how many books at Dortmund University Library are affected. Based on the preliminary results, it can be assumed that only a small part of the collection from the 19th century is affected. Books from this period are also rarely requested for lending.
The reason for the check was an inventory that the library at Bielefeld University recently carried out and is now checking more than 60,000 books from the 19th century.