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Showing results for tags 'Is it poisonous?'.
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I have been wondering about the green dye used in the bellows of Victorian concertinas. Here's an extract from Wikipedia: ----- Scheele's Green, also called Schloss Green, is chemically a cupric hydrogen arsenite (also called copper arsenite or acidic copper arsenite), CuHAsO3. It is chemically related to Paris Green. It is a yellowish-green pigment and in the past it was used in some paints, but has since fallen out of use because of its toxicity and the instability of its colour in the presence of sulphides and various chemical pollutants. Scheele's Green was used as a color for paper, e.g., for wallpapers and paper hangings, and in paints, wax candles, and even on some children's toys.[3] It was also used to dye cotton and linen. Scheele's Green is more brilliant and durable than the then-used copper carbonate pigments. However, because of its copper content it tends to fade and blacken when exposed to sulfides, whether in the form of atmospheric hydrogen sulfide or in pigment mixtures based on or containing sulfur. Emerald green, also known as Paris Green, was developed later in attempt to improve Scheele's Green. It had the same tendency to blacken, but was more durable. By the end of 19th century, both greens were made obsolete by cobalt green, also known as zinc green, which is far less toxic. ----- What do we know about the green used in mid-Victorian concertina bellows? Might it be toxic?