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6 Types of Paris Green

John Spacey, May 26, 2020

Paris green is a color inspired by the poisonous pigment of the same name that's composed of copper acetate and arsenic trioxide. This was invented in 1822 as a replacement for the toxic pigment Scheele's green that had been involved in a number of poisonings. Somehow the chemists working on this problem couldn't resist making the replacement equally poisonous. Paris green went on to be a popular color in the 19th century and is often found in art from the period. It is still used and produced. For example, it is used as a blue colorant for fireworks. The following is a palette of colors related to Paris green.

Dark Emerald
#00834e

Blue Fire
#00aadd

Vienna Green
#00b800

Emerald
#028f1e

Scheele's Green
#478800

Paris Green
#50C878

Notes

People commonly find it amusing that historical products were toxic despite the fact that modern products contain a diverse range of toxic substances. For example, it is considered absurd that the Romans used lead pipes as this may have lead to widespread lead poisoning. However, modern products, including PVC pipes, still contain lead and lead exposure is still a major problem.

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References

Al-Malack, Muhammad H. "Migration of lead from unplasticized polyvinyl chloride pipes." Journal of hazardous materials 82.3 (2001): 263-274.

Wang, Yin, et al. "Impact of galvanic corrosion on lead release from aged lead service lines." Water research 46.16 (2012): 5049-5060.

Salkever, David S. "Updated estimates of earnings benefits from reduced exposure of children to environmental lead." Environmental Research 70.1 (1995): 1-6.