In this second part, you will find the description of other pigments with high lead content and a review on the meaning of heavy metals or toxic metals.
By: M.Sc. Ph.D. Julián A. Restrepo R.*
In the first part of this article presented in the 22-6 edition of 2017, the history of heavy metals and the way in which they have been implemented over time were highlighted. In addition, some pigments with high lead content were described and will continue to be mentioned below. In addition, a description of the meaning of heavy metals or toxic metals will be presented.
Other pigments with a high lead content: others of this type used were lithargyrium (lead oxide), whose most frequent presentation, although not unique, is as yellow, and Saturn extract (lead acetate, fundamentally), a white that has had very curious uses, by the way, beyond painting, even as a universal remedy in eighteenth-century medicine.
And it is that the impact of the use of pigments with lead by painters has been so devastating, that some scholars of the subject indicate that painters such as Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Rubens, Goya, Fortuny, Van Gogh, Renoir, Dufy, Klee, Kahlo, Portinari and Sorolla, probably suffered from Saturnism and we are talking about painters who lived in the period of four different centuries (s. XVII to XX) [19] [22]: In a study it is concluded that the disease that left Francisco de Goya y Lucientes deaf (1746-1828), could be caused by Saturnism. But Goya's case is one of the most curious, since there are those who point out that lead poisoning actually helped launch his career, transforming his sweet and sentimental beginnings towards darker, grotesque and aggressive paintings that elevated his work and reputation in the history of art (see Figure 3) [20].
In an analysis of the remains of Michelangelo Merisi, alias Caravaggio (1571-1610), in the cemetery of Porto Ercole (Italy), it was found that he suffered from Saturnism [16]. In Fortuny, Mariano José María Bernardo Fortuny y Marsal (1838-1874), considered one of the most important Spanish painters of the nineteenth century after Goya, this condition, together with malaria, precipitated his death [23]. In the case of the Dutch painter Vincent Willem van Gogh (1853-1890), it is indicated that Van Gogh's mental condition was associated with Saturnism [23]. In the most recent documented case, the painter Cândido Portinari (1903-1962), one of the most important Brazilian painters of all time, certainly suffered a Saturnism that was finally the cause of his death [24]. Among the explanation of the causes of why this poisoning could occur among these painters is the fact that they had bad habits and having long working hours, they tended to be disorganized with their utensils and the materials they used, their clothes and hands were frequently stained with paint, they had the habit of holding the brush between their teeth or soaking their bristles with saliva, eating without washing dirty hands of paint. The forensic doctors also indicated that those affected used to use pottery utensils and glazed clay with a high lead content, as well as containers of badly tinned copper, as in the case of oil or musks.
Figure 3: Saturn devouring his son. Author: Francisco de Goya (1819-1823)
But the suffering of Saturnism was not exclusive to painters: An analysis of a strand of hair and a fragment of skull by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), resulted in high concentrations of lead, indicating that Beethoven suffered from this disease, which caused him deafness, its taciturn and antisocial character, and finally caused his death [16] [25]. It was known that the musician suffered from stomach problems from the age of twenty, which even produced depressive crises and a sour character. The appearance of lead in his skull reveals that the musician's exposure to lead was not a one-off event, but something constant for many years. Researchers relate the deep melancholy and drama of Beethoven's latest pieces to the chronic illness developed by the German composer. Without intending to detract from the natural genius of the musician, it is concluded, therefore, that compositions so admired, and received with such horror by the public of the time, such as the "Ninth Symphony", owe part of their beauty to a disease that also took him to the grave [25].
Among the main causes of his suffering are indicated: his passion for the intake of contaminated fish from the Danube (whose waters presented at that time, very high amounts of lead), he used to drink a lot of water in lead glasses, a high content of this metal in the glass of the glasses he used, the metal salts with which cheap wine was adulterated (that Beethoven, he drank in abundance), the hot springs to which the composer had great fondness or the lead salts of the antibacterial drugs commonly used in the nineteenth century, are some of the factors that could have triggered the Saturnism that the composer suffered [25].
We must indicate that if since ancient times there was already knowledge of the toxicity of some MPs, as in the case of lead, and if we still have reports of cases of poisoning by this metal, we could relate this to the idea of Nietzsche's "Eternal Return", "events are repeated cyclically": if we consider the historical progress of technological development, we will see that he lives his own version of the idea of the "Eternal Return", where we can affirm that what we do is paradoxically repeated again and again. As before, today we have civilizations that are being affected by the use of lead, even though we have knowledge of its associated toxicity [26].
What are "heavy metals" or "toxic metals"?
In chemical terms, an element referred to as "heavy metal" is a member of a group of elements that exhibits metallic properties. Mainly transition metals, some semimetals, lanthanides, and actinides are included. Many different definitions have proposed to be based on either density, atomic number or atomic weight, and some on their chemical or toxicity properties [27].
In a technical report by IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry), the term "heavy metal" is considered a "bad name", due to its contradictory definition and its lack of "bases of scientific coherence" [27]. For which the use of the alternative term "toxic metal" or "toxic heavy metal" has been proposed, for which there is also no consensus of its exact definition [28].
As discussed below, depending on the context, heavy metals may include light elements such as carbon and may exclude some of the heavier metals. MPs are found free and naturally in some ecosystems and can vary in their concentration. However, there are a number of elements that in some of their forms can represent a serious environmental problem and it is common to refer to them with the generic term "heavy metals". Currently, there are anthropogenic sources of MPs, such as pollution, that has introduced them into ecosystems. For example, fuels derived from garbage (non-organic), generally provide these metals, so MPs should be considered when using waste as fuel.
The main "toxic heavy metals" are mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, chromium and tin and rarely, some nonmetal such as selenium. Sometimes there is also talk of contamination by MPs, including other lighter toxic elements, such as beryllium or aluminum [1] [9].
Note: In the next edition you will find the third and last part of this interesting article on heavy metals, which will refer to the presence they still have in the sector and some legislation associated with the subject.
References
[1] Restrepo, J.A., "Hanlon's Principle in Formulation, Part I". Inpralatina, Vol. 22, No. 1, Jan/Feb, 2017, pp. 22-25; (b) Restrepo, J.A., "Hanlon Principle in Formulation, Part II". Inpralatina, Vol. 22, No. 2, Mar/Apr, 2017, pp. 22-25
[9] (a) http://noticias.caracoltv.com/colombia/el-mercurio-envenena-colombia-efectos-devastadores-de-la-mineria-ilegal; (b) http://www.elcolombiano.com/especiales/mercurio-en-antioquia/el-mercurio-un-monstruo-dormido-en-antioquia-YC721881; (c) http://www.eltiempo.com/multimedia/especiales/mineria-ilegal-en-colombia-comprar-mercurio-en-bogota-es-tan-facil-como-comprar-oro/16460373
[16] http://www.euskonews.com/0614zbk/gaia61404es.html
[19] (a) https://letamendi.wordpress.com/2014/02/12/saturnismo-la-enfermedad-de-los-pintores-introduccion/; b) Chic García, G., Considerations around an amphora found in La Punta de la Nao (Cádiz). Tribute to Prof. Dr. Hernández. T.I. Seville. 1982. pp. 51-56
[20] (a) https://lavozdelmuro.net/5-curiosos-y-sorprendentes-casos-de-personas-que-se-envenenaron-a-si-mismas-sin-saberlo/; b) Grout, J., Lead poisoning and Rome. University of Chicago
[22] (a) http://www.revclinesp.es/es/goya-fortuny-van-gogh-portinari/articulo/13084764/; (b) http://www.larazon.es/lifestyle/la-razon-del-verano/deconstruyendo-dietas/que-tuvieron-en-comun-goya-beethoven-y-van-gogh-FE10361510; c) Montes S.J., Goya, Fortuny, Van Gogh, Portinari: lead poisoning in painters across three centuries. Revista Clínica Española, Vol. 206, 1, 2006, pp. 30-32
[23] González L., F.J.; Montejo, A.L., Implication of Saturnism in The Psychopathology of Vincent van Gogh: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/286700293_Implicacion_del_saturnismo_en_la_psicopatologia_de_Vincent_van_Gogh
[25] http://www.abc.es/cultura/musica/abci-beethoven-genio-murio-comer-pescado-contaminado-danubio-201604170240_noticia.html
[26] (a) Restrepo, J.A., "The Idea of Eternal Return, Part I"; Inpralatina, Vol. 17, No. 3, May/June 2012, pp. 37-38; b) Restrepo, J.A., "The Idea of eternal return, part II"; Inpralatina, Vol. 17, No. 4, Jul/Aug 2012, pp. 24-29
[27] Duffus, J. H., "Heavy metals: a meaningless term? (IUPAC Technical Report)" Pure and Applied Chemistry, 2002, Vol. 74, pp. 793-807
[28] https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metal_pesado
* M.Sc. Ph.D. Julián A. Restrepo R. Advisor and Technical Consultant in Coatings. President STAR (Association of Andean Technicians in Coatings). [email protected] Medellin, Colombia.
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