“Sniff test” for books story smells fishy
Scientists in England have discovered a way to “measure the degradation of old books and historical documents” based on how they smell. According to this report from The Telegraph, they believe “their non-destructive ’sniff’ test could help libraries and museums preserve a range of prized objects, some of which are degrading rapidly due to advancing age.”
According to chemist Matija Strlic of University College London, the smell of a book “is the result of hundreds of so-called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released into the air from the paper,” says the Telegraph. Explains Strlic, “A combination of grassy notes with a tang of acids and a hint of vanilla over an underlying mustiness, this unmistakable smell is as much a part of the book as its contents. It is the result of the several hundred VOCs off-gassing from paper and the object in general.”
She goes on to explain that scientists can now measure those emissions via a non-destructive “sniff test” … but the article gives not a clue as to what, exactly, that means or how that is accomplished.