HAZARDOUS BINDINGS - TOXIC BINDINGS

Research has identified potentially toxic pigments used in some book cloth, marbled papers, book labels, binders' tickets, and other materials. As these materials degrade, they can release poisonous or carcinogenic elements such as arsenic, mercury, lead, chromium, etc. They are most prevalent in some, but not all, Victorian-era materials using green, red, orange, and yellow pigments.

The Poison Book Project at Winterthur Museum and the University of Delaware is a resource for identification of such toxic materials, handling protocols, and recommendations for storage.

https://sites.udel.edu/poisonbookproject/

The image shows a period cloth binding dyed with a compound potentially containing toxic elements.