2024-05-08 14:42:38
In recent weeks, thousands of arsenic-laced books have been removed from European libraries, particularly in Germany and the French border city of Strasbourg. This was reported by the Europe 1 TV channel, Day.Az reports with reference to Lenta.ru.
“In the 1840s, books with green covers became fashionable, and arsenic was used to make the green pigment, a product that is dangerous if inhaled,” explained Jérôme Schweitzer, an employee of the National and University Library of Strasbourg.
According to the channel, European library workers are removing all books with green covers from the shelves. According to Schweitzer, some books still had covers containing arsenic, but bindings were placed over them for safekeeping. “You’ll have to open each book to see if it has such a cover,” said a library employee.
It is noted that checking the books may take months, since the library stores hundreds of thousands of books from the 19th century. When a book is found with an arsenic-laced cover, it is first stored electronically and then stored in an airtight box.
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