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In 1898, Marie and Pierre Curie [br]discovered radium.

0:00:11.936,0:00:14.005
Claimed to have restorative properties,

0:00:14.005,0:00:15.786
radium was added to toothpaste,

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medicine,

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water,

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and food.

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A glowing, luminous green,

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it was also used in beauty products[br]and jewelry.

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It wasn't until the mid-20th century

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we realized that radium's harmful[br]effects as a radioactive element

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outweighed its visual benefits.

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Unfortunately, radium isn't the only[br]pigment that historically

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seemed harmless or useful

0:00:38.585,0:00:40.535
but turned out to be deadly.

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That lamentable distinction includes[br]a trio of colors and pigments

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that we've long used to decorate ourselves[br]and the things we make:

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white,

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green,

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and orange.

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Our story begins with white.

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As far back as the 4th century BCE,

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the Ancient Greeks treated lead to make[br]the brilliant white pigment we know today.

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The problem?

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In humans, lead is directly absorbed[br]into the body

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and distributed to the blood,

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soft tissues,

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and mineralized tissues.

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Once in the nervous system,

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lead mimics and disrupts the normal[br]functions of calcium,

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causing damages ranging [br]from learning disabilities

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to high blood pressure.

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Yet the practice [br]of using this toxic pigment

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continued across time and cultures.

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Lead white was the only practical choice[br]for white oil or tempera paint

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until the 19th century.

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To make their paint, artists would grind[br]a block of lead into powder,

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exposing highly toxic dust particles.

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The pigment's liberal use resulted[br]in what was known as painter's colic,

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or what we'd now call lead poisoning.

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Artists who worked with lead complained[br]of palseys,

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melancholy,

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coughing,

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enlarged retinas,

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and even blindness.

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But lead white's density, opacity,[br]and warm tone

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were irresistible to artists like Vermeer,[br]and later, the Impressionists.

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Its glow couldn't be matched,

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and the pigment continued to be widely[br]used until it was banned in the 1970s.

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As bad as all that sounds,

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white's dangerous effects [br]pale in comparison

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to another, [br]more wide-spread pigment, green.

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Two synthetic greens called [br]Scheele's Green and Paris Green

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were first introduced in the 18th century.

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They were far more vibrant and flashy

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than the relatively dull greens[br]made from natural pigments,

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so they quickly became popular choices[br]for paint

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as well as dye for textiles,

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wallpaper,

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soaps,

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cake decorations,

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toys,

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candy,

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and clothing.

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These green pigments were made from[br]a compound called

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cupric hydrogen arsenic.

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In humans, exposure to arsenic

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can damage the way cells [br]communicate and function.

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And high levels of arsenic have been[br]directly linked

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to cancer and heart disease.

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As a result, 18th century fabric[br]factory workers were often poisoned,

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and women in green dresses [br]reportedly collapsed

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from exposure to arsenic on their skin.

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Bed bugs were rumored not to live[br]in green rooms,

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and it's even been speculated that[br]Napoleon died from slow arsenic poisoning

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from sleeping in his green [br]wallpapered bedroom.

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The intense toxicity of these green[br]stayed under wraps

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until the arsenic recipe was published[br]in 1822.

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And a century later, it was repurposed[br]as an insecticide.

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Synthetic green was probably the most[br]dangerous color in widespread use,

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but at least it didn't share radium's[br]property of radioactivity.

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Another color did, though - orange.

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Before World War II, it was common[br]for manufacturers of ceramic dinnerware

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to use uranium oxide in colored glazes.

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The compound produced brilliant[br]reds and oranges,

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which were appealing attributes,[br]if not for the radiation they emitted.

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Of course, radiation was something[br]we were unaware of until the late 1800s,

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let alone the associated cancer risks,[br]which we discovered much later.

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During World War II,

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the U.S. government confiscated all uranium[br]for use in bomb development.

0:04:12.583,0:04:17.805
However, the atomic energy commission[br]relaxed these restrictions in 1959,

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and depleted uranium returned to ceramics[br]and glass factory floors.

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Orange dishes made during [br]the next decade

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may still have some hazardous qualities[br]on their surfaces to this day.

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Most notably, vintage fiestaware[br]reads positive for radioactivity.

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And while the levels are low enough that[br]they don't officially pose a health risk

0:04:36.975,0:04:38.584
if they're on a shelf,

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the U.S. EPA warns against eating food[br]off of them.

0:04:44.159,0:04:48.034
Though we still occasionally run [br]into issues with synthetic food dyes,

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our scientific understanding has helped us[br]prune hazardous colors out of our lives.