How can books be dangerous? In our opinion, some of them are capable of causing harm except for their shocking content. Also, in very rare cases, a person can injure his finger on the edge of a book sheet. It turns out that that's not all: recently the authors of the Poisonous Book project warned that ancient bookscan emit toxic substancesIf a random person picks them up, he will at most experience irritation to his eyes, nose and throat. But library workers who regularly pick up perennial publications can become seriously ill. So why are ancient books so dangerous and how to distinguish a poisonous edition from a safe one? Now we will briefly tell you about this – you will be interested!
Antique books with green and red covers have been releasing toxic substances into the air for hundreds of years
The danger of green paint< /h2>
Recently, the authors of the Poisonous Book project removed two books from the French National Library. The reason was that they were wrapped in a cover made of bright green fabric. According to experts, there is a very high probability that fabric of this color releases a very toxic substance for humans into the air –arsenic.
In the 19th century, when printed books began to be produced en masse, publishers began refuse expensive leather bindings. They used cheaper cloth bindings instead. To prevent the books from looking boring, the covers were painted in bright colors.
Arsenic Green Book. Photo source: Poisonous Book Project
Especially popular was the bright green paint known asScheele green. This shade was named after the chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele, who in 1775 discovered that mixing copper and arsenic resulted in a very bright and beautiful green pigment. The paint made according to this recipe was much cheaper than other green dyes. Therefore, over time, they began to use it even for dyeing clothes, candles and indoor wallpaper.
As you might guess, toxic arsenic has caused health problems for thousands of people. There has been a lot of news about newborn babies being poisoned by the secretions of green arsenic suppositories. Factory workers who painted green paint on manufactured products convulsed. Girls who wore green ball gowns were also spray-painted. In 1862, the satirical magazine Punch even published a cartoon called “The Arsenic Waltz,” which satirized the deadly fashion.
Caricature “Arsenic Waltz”. Image source: Atlas Obscura
There is an assumption that green paint with arsenic is the cause of the death of Napoleon Bonaparte. He liked this shade so much that he ordered the walls of his house to be painted in it. Ultimately, a high concentration of poisonous arsenic was found in the hair of the commander who died of stomach cancer.
Read also:What Caesar and other historical figures would look like in the modern world
Paints with toxic substances
The authors of the project are also hunting for old books with red covers. Sometimes they contain red dyecinnabar, which is made frommercury sulfide. This is such an old dye that even Stone Age people used it thousands of years ago. There is evidence that ancient artists who used cinnabar suffered from mercury poisoning. We talked about the dangers of this metal in this material. Therefore, it is logical that they are trying to remove covers with its contents from library shelves.
Books with yellow covers that release toxic substances. Photo source: Poisonous Book Project
Books with yellow covers are also a cause for concern because some of them may containlead chromateThis is also a toxic substance that was actively used by artists of the past. For example, the well-known Vincent van Gogh painted his “Sunflowers” using just such paint.
The most dangerous paints of past times are green and red. Yellow color can also be dangerous, but lead chromate penetrates heavily into the human body, so nothing bad will happen from one touch.
Everyone should know this:The most dangerous sources of harmful substances which are in every apartment
The danger of old books
In Russia, it is almost impossible to accidentally stumble upon old books with poisonous covers. If this happens, books from the Victorian era should only be held with gloves, and then thoroughly washed and cleaned all surfaces. As mentioned above, the people who need to worry most about their health are those who work in libraries and are surrounded by old books all day long. Other people have nothing to worry about.
Antique books that do not have poisonous components can be worth a lot of money. Image source: hippopx.com
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There are no poisonous books in the homes of ordinary people. But there may well be poisonous indoor plants. To protect your health, read our material “5 indoor plants that have no place in your home.”