In the past, wearing makeup and hanging wallpaper could have killed you
Today we can express ourselves using products on our bodies and in our homes without too much fear that those products will kill us. There is evidence today however that certain chemicals can ‘off-gas’ into the atmosphere of our homes. This means the chemicals that went into making products slowly exude out of the products. This includes furniture made from MDF which contains formaldehyde, chemicals to preserve leather and fabric, and cleaning products. Open the windows, circulate air and be wary of chemical products.
Knowledge is accumulated slowly over time. From the 18th century onwards, it seems as though chemical discoveries and processing took on a new level of productivity and understanding. Chemical innovation alongside the industrial revolution, changed the way we lived both negatively and positively.
Humanity does have a nasty tendency to continue producing goods even though they are harmful to others, so long as they turn a profit. Maybe more of that in another article.
In this article we consider two poisonous pigments of the past, Lead White and Scheele’s Green.
White Pigments
20,000 years ago – Cave Art
White has been found in cave art and was made from chalk. Early versions of paint were simple. Grinding up the stone and mixing it with a binder such as water, oil, blood or urine. The paint was then applied using sticks, plants or fingers onto the walls. It is unclear whether white was used for body decoration but chances are reasonable.
4300 Years Ago
‘Lead white’ pigment was first made in Anatolia. The ancients knew it was poisonous. Originally it was produced by placing lead shavings over a bowl of vinegar. Fumes would attack the lead and leave deposits of white lead carbonate. The process did poison and kill many workers during the ancient times but like anything, if demand is there, it will be made no matter the cost.
The resulting pigment was high in opacity and brightness and so was used as a paint, ceramics and for cosmetics.
17th Century
In the 17th century, the Dutch invented a new method to mass produce the pigment. However the workers would experience serious symptoms and eventually be poisoned to death.
18th and 19th Centuries
There are some harrowing stories of women using lead foundation in Europe and Japan.
In Europe it was fashionable and beautiful for the skin to be very white, and so the lead pigment was used to make white coloured foundations. However after repeated use, it would badly affect the skin resulting in increased use of the product to cover up the break outs. This would result in even greater amount of poisoning and speed up the inevitable.
Queen Elizabeth I of England is famously associated with using lead-based foundation which ruined her skin and added to other ailments she had, deteriorating her health over time.
Lead cosmetics supposedly did the most damage in Japan with the geisha community. Evidence suggests that the children of geisha women had up to 50 times more lead in their bones when they were being breastfed due to the amount being absorbed by the mother through makeup.
Early 1900s
A synthetic version was finally created. ‘Titanium white’ is made from titanium dioxide and came into use as a pigment. It is brighter than the lead pigment, has better coverage and isn’t poisonous. It’s still in use today.
1977
Lead white itself was banned in the US. They took their time.
Green Pigments
Ancient Times
Early versions of green came from a variety of natural sources such as ground malachite. Other coloured pigments were also mixed together to get green. A common mix was blue azurite mixed with yellow ochre.
Green earth is a pigment used since the Romans, it is a mix of various elements.
Medieval Times
Verdigris was used as early as 5th century CE. It is made by placing a plate of copper, brass or bronze in a vat of fermenting wine, leaving it for several weeks and then scraping off the green that forms on it. It can be unstable though and rub off.
1775
Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele invented a new green pigment called Scheele’s green. It was popular for paints, carpets, candles, fabrics. However it contained copper arsenite as a key ingredient, which is toxic.
1814
A new version came to market called Emerald Green which was brighter but also poisonous.
1815
The toxicity of arsenic was scientifically detected.
1863
It was estimated that more than 500 tons of the Scheele’s green was produced annually to feed demand.
1871
A British medical journal wrote that a six-inch sample of Scheele’s green wallpaper contained enough arsenic to kill two people. It would take another 4 decades before it was stopped being produced and consumers stopped buying it. It is noted that Scheele was aware that his pigment was toxic but chose not disclose this information to the consumer as it would have been bad for business.
Synthetic Pigments
Synthetic versions of green were being produced by the end of the century, along with synthetic versions of many other colours.
In Conclusion
When I first read about different pigments and discovered these events, I was quite horrified and yet not surprised. Today, we have definite evidence that fossil fuel burning for example is harming ourselves and the atmosphere. And yet, it is taking a good long while for industry to shift, regulation to come in and company owners to care. Recently there were even new plans approved to build new fossil fuel plants.
We have definitive evidence that over-consumption of processed foods is giving rise to numerous diseases in humanity and yet, the demand is there and the suppliers will feed the demand within the remits of regulation. The consumers are likely not fully aware what the food they are eating is doing to them. The suppliers have no incentive to educate their customer base.
It is a sad truth of our society and species. We create things that destroy us.
