Discovery of Deadly Poison on Library Shelves
The British newspaper “The Guardian” reported the discovery of traces of the toxic chemical cyanide on the covers of over 200 books from around the world.
The newspaper noted that covers of some old books from the 19th century contained alarming levels of cyanide, prompting some libraries to remove them from shelves.
It explained that the presence of this toxic substance stemmed from the high cost of leather covers at the time, leading publishers to replace them with others dyed in emerald green, unaware that cyanide was used in the production of those dyes.
According to the report, many books with emerald green covers are widespread in libraries today, and those found containing cyanide are confiscated.
It was noted that the French National Library removed 4 books with emerald green covers suspected to contain cyanide last week.
The newspaper emphasized that “exposure to cyanide has been linked to worsening respiratory symptoms and decreased lung function, but long-term exposure could lead to skin lesions and cancer.”
