A groundbreaking tool developed by the University of St Andrews is transforming how cultural heritage institutions identify toxic pigments in historic books, making it easier than ever to distinguish hazardous books from those which are safe to handle and display.

The new device, developed in collaboration between The University of St Andrews Libraries and Museums and the School of Physics and Astronomy, can quickly and cheaply detect the presence of toxic pigment in book bindings.

Although it has long been known that historic wallpapers and textiles, particularly those colored a vivid green may contain arsenic, the focus in recent years has been on bright-green-colored book bindings. This is because publishers used arsenic to achieve a vibrant green color known as emerald green.