It is very unstable, decomposing into nitrous oxide and water when mixed with copper oxide, lead chromate or even powdered glass.
It melts readily, and on cooling resolidifies to a brown mass, which at moderately high temperatures gives off oxygen and leaves a residue of a basic lead salt; for this reason fused lead chromate is sometimes made use of in the analysis of organic compounds.
In 1979 the Color Company abandoned the site, leaving many of the buildings heavily contaminated with lead chromate.
The XRF signal was saturated by the pigment lead chromate.
