Lead(II) chromate

Lead(II) chromate, PbCrO₄, is an inorganic salt made of lead(II) and chromate ions. Its bright yellow color made it useful as a pigment, though its lead and chromium content makes it toxic.

Chrome yellow: A family of yellow pigments based chiefly on lead(II) chromate. Lead(II) chromate is the principal compound behind this historic pigment name.
Lead(II) ion: The Pb²⁺ cation formed when a lead atom loses two electrons. This cation pairs with chromate to form the compound's neutral ionic lattice.
Lead poisoning: Illness caused by exposure to lead, which can damage the nervous system and other organs. Lead released from the pigment can cause poisoning through ingestion or inhaled dust.
Cadmium yellow: A family of yellow pigments based on cadmium sulfide, sometimes mixed with cadmium sulfoselenide. It can provide vivid yellow hues but carries its own serious heavy-metal toxicity.
Vincent van Gogh: A Dutch painter whose works include extensive use of vivid yellow pigments. His paintings illustrate the visual impact and later deterioration risks of chrome yellow.
Chromate: The tetrahedral CrO₄²⁻ oxyanion containing chromium in the +6 oxidation state. Chromate supplies the anion and contributes to the solid's vivid yellow color.
Hexavalent chromium: Chromium compounds in the +6 oxidation state, many of which are toxic and carcinogenic. Chromate contains chromium(VI), the oxidation state central to its major chemical hazard.
Bismuth vanadate: A bright yellow inorganic pigment with formula BiVO₄, used as an alternative to toxic yellows. It offers strong color and opacity without lead chromate's lead and chromium(VI).
Lead paint: Paint containing lead compounds, historically used for durability and color. Lead(II) chromate was one source of lead in colored paints.
Solubility product: An equilibrium constant describing the dissolution of a sparingly soluble ionic solid. The low solubility of lead(II) chromate is expressed through its dissolution equilibrium.

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