Düsseldorf University Library is temporarily removing 15,000 books from its inventory. There are fears that the works may contain arsenic compounds.
The toxic substance was sometimes used in green dyes used at the time. Four locations will be temporarily closed from March 18th to 22nd to sort out and examine the books. The library is following the example of other institutions with historical books on their shelves, such as the university libraries in Siegen and Bielefeld. How many of the books actually have arsenic contamination can only be quantified after testing.