# paint and toxicity

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paint-and-toxicity/754740>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 14, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paint-and-toxicity/754740 "2016-05-14T01:56:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paint-and-toxicity/754740/1 "2016-05-14T01:56:31Z")

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A friend of mine asked me to post this:

> [@](#):
>
> I’m trying to figure out if my tube of Daniel Smith burnt umber watercolor paint is toxic or not. It’s giving off an unpalatable odor that I have not smelled before from other artist-grade burnt umbers I’ve used. On [dickblick.com](http://dickblick.com), it says that it’s chemical composition is:
> 
> Fe2O3,MnO2 or Fe2O3 + MnO2 + nH2O + Si + Al2O3 ������
> 
> This is absolute Greek to me. It also says “iron oxides with manganese silicates or dioxides.” But, here’s the clincher, under "Toxicity: Burnt Umber itself is considered non-toxic. If contaminated by manganese compounds, it may be highly toxic if inhaled and moderately toxic if ingested."������������
> 
> ������So, is my tube of burnt umber paint toxic or not? Is MnO2 a manganese dioxide? Does manganese dioxide cause an odor under certain conditions like being exposed to heat from being outside in the sun?
> 
> What is causing my Daniel Smith burnt umber watercolor paint to stink, and is the odor toxic?