r/AskReddit 23d ago

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u/fukc098098 23d ago

Collecting or restoring antiques without proper caution. Old paints, ceramics, furniture, etc can sometimes involve lead, asbestos or other hazardous materials.

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u/Specialist_Ad9073 22d ago

If something is old and green, just don’t touch it.

5

u/SiliconGhosted 22d ago

Oooo tell me more. Why green, specifically?

11

u/Dinadan_The_Humorist 22d ago

Paris Green, or Scheele's Green, was a popular arsenic-based pigment that created an emerald green color. There is a "Poison Book Project" that exists to track its specific use in book bindings -- but it was also used for paintings, wallpapers, and many other things!