Handling ‘Poison Books’: Dry Versus Wet Scenarios
Date
2025-01-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Studies in Conservation
Abstract
Toxic heavy metal pigments are known to be found in nineteenth-century, mass-produced, Euro-American bookbindings. A lack of data, standards, and regulations for exposure to heavy metal pigments in the cultural heritage sector limits understanding of when such bookbindings might present the greatest health and safety risk and how best to assess such risk. This case study measures the friability of arsenic, chromium, and lead based pigments in a sampling of nineteenth-century bookbindings through three scenarios: first, in their naturally aged, intact state; second, during a water event simulation; and third, after salvage and air-drying from the water disaster simulation. The data demonstrate that the risk of exposure to these heavy metals increases during and after a water event, with exposure to arsenic presenting the highest degree of risk.
Description
This is an original manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Studies in Conservation on 01/11/2025, available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/00393630.2024.2448394.
© The International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works 2025.
This article will be embargoed until 07/11/2026.
Keywords
arsenic, chromium, lead, heavy metals, bookbinding, bookcloth, book, disaster recovery
Citation
Tedone, Melissa, Rosie Grayburn, and Janet Wittine. 2025. “Handling ‘Poison Books’: Dry Versus Wet Scenarios.” Studies in Conservation, January, 1–8. doi:10.1080/00393630.2024.2448394.