As of: March 14, 2024, 4:41 p.m
By: Sven Trautwein
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Tens of thousands of books in the Bielefeld University Library are blocked due to suspected arsenic.
A historical dye could contain the poison.
The Bielefeld University Library has taken tens of thousands of books out of circulation.
The reason: Arsenic compounds could have been used in the production of publications in the 19th century.
The exact number of copies affected by the 60,000 volumes remains uncertain.
According to the library, it could be less than ten percent.
However, the topic is treated with great seriousness.
The library asks for patience as it takes time to remove, store and inspect this volume of books.
Various media have reported on it.
Tens of thousands of books in the Bielefeld University Library are blocked due to suspected arsenic.
A historical dye could contain the poison.
© Marco Stepniak/Imago
The German Library Association confirms that this problem has also been known in other libraries for a long time.
In a model project at the University and State Library of Bonn in 2020/2021, for example, research was carried out into how arsenic-contaminated volumes can be identified and made usable again, a spokeswoman for the association told the German Press Agency (dpa) on February 27th.
The review in Bielefeld is therefore not an isolated case.
Toxic reading?
Universities test books for arsenic contamination
The Bielefeld University Library explained that the toxic arsenic could be contained in green dyes.
Therefore, books from this era with green covers, book cuts, title plates, mirrors or endpapers are generally considered suspicious without being checked, according to the Bielefeld University Library.
The first scientific findings on this topic were recently published.
However, there are still no legal regulations or recommendations for dealing with this danger.
“We are in contact with other libraries,” said the Bielefeld University Library.
“A possible hazard can arise if the volumes contain green waste and the fingers are moistened with the tongue to turn the pages, the dust may contain arsenic and is inhaled, or arsenic gets into the eyes when touching the volumes,” it said recorded in a statement from the Bielefeld University Library.
As long as the books remain on the shelf, they are classified as harmless.
Up to 18,000 books could be contaminated with arsenic: universities in trouble
The University of Duisburg-Essen is currently examining possible arsenic contamination in its books.
It could be that up to 18,000 books are affected, reports
WDR
.
Most of these books are stored in the university archives, only a small number are on loan.
Similar studies are also planned at the University of Bochum.
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Potentially contaminated books are already stored safely in Düsseldorf and will be checked if necessary.
It is believed that between 150 and 200 books in the collections of the universities in Cologne and Bonn could also be affected.
These books are either removed from the inventory or may only be viewed under strict security conditions.
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There are always cases where a book is returned late.
A book returned more than 100 years late comes back with an arithmetic problem.
The editor wrote this article and then used an AI language model for optimization at his own discretion. All information has been carefully checked. Find out more about our AI principles here.