Arsenic was historically mixed with copper to create a vivid green for book covers, which can irritate modern day readersA new tool to quickly identify books that are poisonous to humans has been developed by the University of St Andrews.Historically, publishers used arsenic mixed with copper to achieve a vivid emerald green colour for book covers. While the risk to the public is “low”, handling arsenic-containing books regularly can lead to health issues including irritation of the eyes, nose and throat along with more serious side-effects. The toxic pigment in the book bindings can flake off, meaning small pieces can easily be inhaled. Continue reading...