In this study, the occurrence of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) in the environment of the Moravian Library in Brno, the second largest library in Czechia, was in focus. The materials of interest were airborne particles, dust originating from books, and also book pages. Total suspended particles (TSP) were sampled in different areas of the library, including the reading room, the book depository, and an external book warehouse. Samples of dusts were obtained from the book-cleaning system, and, moreover, some pages taken from old books were also analyzed. Samples were microwave-digested and analyzed using graphite furnace high-resolution continuum source AAS (HR-CS GF-AAS). During the analysis, possibilities of the signal intensity modulation of the HR-CS technique were demonstrated and employed in order to determine Zn, an element which is rarely determined by GF-AAS. The median TSP concentrations (in ng/m3) were as follows: Pb, 4.4; Cd, 0.07; Cu, 2.6; and Zn, 20.9. Such concentrations are safely below allowed limits. Contents of Pb determined in dust samples and book pages were slightly higher (up to 707 and 38 mg/kg, respectively) than the usually reported values. However, none of these results indicate a potential risk to library staff or readers.
Keywords: Book depository; Heavy metals; High-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry; Indoor environment; Total suspended particles.