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It's pretty nuts some of the toxic chemicals the Romans used. I seem to recall arsenic as a major component of beauty products, and lead compounds as artificial
by megaman22 8y ago
It's pretty nuts some of the toxic chemicals the Romans used. I seem to recall arsenic as a major component of beauty products, and lead compounds as artificial sweeteners.
- Gibbon1 8y agoThey used to use arsenic in wallpaper. If it got damp enough some types of mold would convert inorganic arsenic into volatile organic arsenic compounds and poison people. Just remembered an ex gf worked in a museum. She said they used to dust taxidermist specimens with arsenic powder to prevent pests and decay. So a lot of display items are problematic. Toxic, irreplaceable, and you can't just throw them out either.
- jonhendry18 8y agoThere's a 19th century book of poisonous wallpapers. Not many copies exist and they have to be stored carefully.
- Gibbon1 8y agoI saw a picture of some old Victorian era wallpaper. All the colors had completely faded except the black ink and the rich purple arsenic pigmented flowers.