Dr. George O. Dwapanyin, Research Fellow in Advanced Optical Imaging at the University of St Andrews, has revealed that some historical books contain hazardous substances such as arsenic, posing potential health risks to librarians, archivists, researchers and others who frequently handle them.

He made the remarks during the fourth edition of ScienceFriday, organised by the KNUST Libraries to promote scientific discussion, research sharing and interdisciplinary collaboration within the university community.

Delivering a lecture titled “Drinks, Drugs, and Toxic Books: Recent Adventures in Spectroscopy Sensing”, Dr. Dwapanyin explained that toxic pigments used in the covers and pages of some old books could expose handlers to harmful chemicals through repeated physical contact.

According to him, libraries and archives around the world are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers associated with preserving and handling certain historical collections.

“Some of these books contain pigments with arsenic and other toxic compounds. If you are constantly handling them without protection, it can become dangerous over time,” he stated.

To reduce the risks associated with handling such materials, Dr. Dwapanyin said he and his team have developed a non-destructive Raman scanning method that allows toxic books to be digitised and analysed while minimising physical contact.

He explained that current safety measures for handling toxic books include the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), gloves, masks and the storage of hazardous books in glass cases to limit exposure.

“Our goal is to make it possible to study and preserve these books without destroying them and without exposing people to unnecessary risks,” he said.

Dr. Dwapanyin further described how Raman spectroscopy can identify substances through glass, coloured containers and opaque materials without opening or damaging them.

“We can see whether it is methanol in a coloured bottle or a clear bottle, and we can detect contaminants as low as half a per cent,” he explained.

Beyond preserving historical books, he noted that the technology could support efforts to combat counterfeit drugs in Ghana and across West Africa, where fake medications continue to pose serious public health threats.

“Ghana and the West African sub-region are viable markets for fake medication. According to World Health Organisation reports, many fake anti-malaria medications come into West Africa and parts of Central Africa,” he stated.

He explained that conventional methods of testing medications often require samples to be destroyed before laboratory analysis, making large-scale screening difficult and expensive.

Touching on challenges affecting scientific innovation in Africa, Dr. Dwapanyin said bureaucracy and politics remain the biggest obstacles to deploying advanced technology on the continent, rather than cost or technical limitations.

“The challenge is not necessarily the science or even the cost. The biggest barrier is bureaucracy and politics,” he stressed.

As a long-term solution, Dr. Dwapanyin advocated local manufacturing of key scientific components such as lasers and spectrometers to reduce dependence on imports and make the technology more accessible across Africa.

The University Librarian, Dr. Richard Bruce Lamptey, emphasised the importance of science in solving societal challenges and promoting development.

“Today’s gathering reminds us that science is not only about discoveries in laboratories, but also about finding solutions to the challenges facing our communities, our nation, and the world,” he said.