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Aug 22, 2024 07:30 PM IST
The bright colours used in ancient book covers contained chromium, arsenic and lead, which can pose health hazards such as cancer.
It is every book lover’s dream to own an antique book whose binding smells of history and ancient times. And if the cloth-bound book is straight out of the Victorian era, it’s a dream come true. However, it may not all be limited to dreams and fun – a recent study says that touching antique books can actually poison us. The study has made shocking revelations, stating that the cloth binding of a book can sometimes contain harmful chemicals and toxins.
Why are antique books in such high demand among book lovers?
Well, the vibrant colours, intricate designs and the feeling of owning a Victorian era book make antique books a dream for any book lover. However, what we probably don’t know is that we are secretly eating poison when we touch these books. The study says that the same vibrant colours that attract us to books come from toxic dyes. The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Lipscomb University in Tennessee – they studied the potential health risk posed by books that have been hidden on the shelves of libraries and private collections for centuries.
In a media release, Abigail Horman, a graduate student studying chemistry at Lipscomb University, said that old books contain toxic dyes. The study investigates how toxic dyes can affect people and how old books can be stored safely so that harmful dyes do not affect health.
The connection between toxic colors and book covers:
In the Victorian era of the 19th and early 20th centuries, bright colors were used on book covers to attract the attention of book lovers. Therefore, bookbinders used colorful paints to make book covers extremely attractive. A variety of pigments were used to do this. Some of these pigments contain harmful elements such as arsenic, lead, and chromium. When these substances are handled or inhaled, they can cause health problems. Long-term exposure to them can cause cancer, lung damage, and reproductive problems.
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