In the 1800s, people started to mine coal in southeastern Ohio. This caused iron and other minerals to leak into water underground. Most of the mines are now closed, but the polluted water still flows into nearby rivers and streams. There, a chemical reaction turns the iron into a rusty orange substance called iron oxide.
Sabraw works with an engineer who scoops the iron oxide out of rivers. They use different chemical processes to turn it red, orange, yellow, or violet. Sabraw makes these colors into paint that’s safe to use. He uses that paint for his eye-catching pieces. Someday, Sabraw also hopes to sell the paints—and use the money to clean up the rivers they came from.