Art from Toxins - The Success Story of Turning Toxic Waste into Paint
Several issues are generally associated with mining coal, including acid mine drainage, when toxins such as lead and mercury leak into streams and rivers. This story, however, isn’t the tragic tale of abandoned coal mines literally bleeding rivers red — it’s a tale of hope. Two people, artist John Sabraw and civil engineer and Ohio State University professor Guy Riefler, have worked together to make paint out of harmful toxins.
Sticking to local resources, Riefler discovered that he could harvest iron from the polluted rivers to make a dry, powdery pigment. Not entirely sure what he could do with the dry pigment, Riefler turned to Sabraw for help. By mixing oil dispersant and the dry pigment together on a tempered glass table, Sabraw transformed the toxic concoction into a paint-like pigment.
In Ohio alone, there are over 1,300 streamed miles that are polluted by acid mine drainage. The final product is a paint that hopefully all paint companies will consider selling. When these paints come to market, Riefler and Sabraw plan to use the proceeds to raise funds for some serious cleanup efforts.
The idea of literally transforming waste into something beautiful and meaningful is a tactic all people, scientists, and corporations alike, should utilize. If we can already recycle waste to create clothing, furniture, and even oil, then why not make paint out of toxins?
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