Can someone please fill me in regarding lead content in the glaze of ceramic and stone dinnerware?

Question

Ookay. I have some Stoneware and Ceramic Plates, and I realize that the majority of glazed dinnerware is contaminated with lead, in sufficiently high enough quantities that people have actually gotten lead poisoning from eating off of and storing food in these things. This isn't just exclusive to foreign dinnerware, either. Those tested that had come from the United States and Europe rated just as bad.

I have a few Stoneware plates that were made in Japan, and are probably seven to fifteen years old. They are solid white, and although they have ridged patterns embroidered around the top edges, are devoid of any kind of paint or colorations. Could these have lead?

I also have a set of "Gibson - China" ceramic plates and coffee mugs that are all white in color. These too have ridged patterns on them, but like the stoneware, are solid white with no paint or colors. Could the glaze of these be contaminated with lead?

Also! Can lead absorb through the skin? Meaning, if I had contact with dinnerware that was contaminated in that I simply handled it, could the lead migrate through my skin and into my bloodstream?... Or if I washed my hands right after, would it all come off and I'd be fine, without having a single atom or smidgen worth of lead get into my system?

Answer 1

2nd. quesion first.   No you cannont absorb it through your hands.  Washing your hands is a good idea untill you know if it lead AND!!!  if its LEACHABLE@

Key word leachable.

The best way to do this is get a product called "Lead Check"  They are little white tubes that will deliver a chemical to the item and if it changes color to pink or red that means there is lead there AND its leachable.  Which means it should never be used to serve food drink.

(no......  I don't own stock in Lead Check)  :)  but accept no other testing kit.

HINT: Each check tube will cost you about $3.00 but it has 5 to 7 drops in it.  So if you use a clean cotton swab on each item you can do 5 to 7 tests.

Again...   There can be HUGE amounts of lead in the base material the paint or the glaze but if its not LEACHABLE its not a problem.

For more info you might read http://home.mindspring.com/~wrltc/lswp.p...  This is book I wrote for parents doing re mod or having it done. It was paid for by a fed/state grant which means its as much your book as mine.