A. Jan on mon 20 jan 97
I'm in a dilemma. I took up Porcelain painting a couple of years ago to
paint my own dinner set. I asked my instructress if the colors which were
mixed with some oil, safe for food and to be used as dinner ware and she
said yes and that it is safe from lead.
I painted all the wares even on surfaces which comes in contact with food.I
just found out from another teacher that none of the powdered colors used
are free from lead and that lead only fires off above 1000 degrees. Is that
true? She also told me the lead content of different colors and I found them
to be really high.
Could any one please advise me?
1. How can I test my plates to see if they are safe for food?
There are no places here where i can send my plates for lead testing..so if
anyone knows of a simple test i could use, please help me.
2. Having used the dinner set for over 2 years, is my family and I poisoned?
3. Any suggestions what I can do with over 50 pieces of wares ranging from
big plates, to small plates to bowls, serving bowls....etc since I am not
going to use them for serving food any more?
Thank you. I feel like I have been eating poison now. Please help.
Jan
- where it is raining and the day is pretty gloomy.
George Mackie on tue 21 jan 97
A 10:47 AM 1/20/97 EST, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
>
>1. How can I test my plates to see if they are safe for food?
>There are no places here where i can send my plates for lead testing..so if
>anyone knows of a simple test i could use, please help me.
>
>Jan - There are lead-testing kits available at ceramic supply places. One
is called Leadcheck and is made by Abotex Enterprises, Windsor, Ontario
1-800-268-LEAD. They warn that you should get your ware professionally
tested however if there is serious reason to think it is releasing
significant amounts of lead. The Leadcheck test involves soaking the ware in
vinegar for 4 hrs, then add an indicator solution that produces a brown
color if lead present. Simple, and cheap. george
Kirk Morrison on tue 21 jan 97
On 20 Jan 97 at 10:47, A. Jan wrote:
> ----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>
> I'm in a dilemma. I took up Porcelain painting a couple of years ago to
> paint my own dinner set. I asked my instructress if the colors which were
> mixed with some oil, safe for food and to be used as dinner ware and she
> said yes and that it is safe from lead.
>
> I painted all the wares even on surfaces which comes in contact with food.I
> just found out from another teacher that none of the powdered colors used
> are free from lead and that lead only fires off above 1000 degrees. Is that
> true? She also told me the lead content of different colors and I found them
> to be really high.
>
> Could any one please advise me?
>
> 1. How can I test my plates to see if they are safe for food?
> There are no places here where i can send my plates for lead testing..so if
> anyone knows of a simple test i could use, please help me.
>
Axner cares a simple lead test kit, and you may or may not be poisoned
if you have been eating off of them and they are leaching, if the lead
was frited you should be safe if they were fired in the range in which
the frit doesn't break down. most have a range ie 06-02 were they are
safe. Get the lead test kit if they test safe then they are safe
unless damaged.
Kirk
Susan Stern on tue 21 jan 97
Hi Jan,
I'll just BET you're gloomy! That's really horrible that you found out after
all that work that it may not be food safe. But there are ways to check it.
Most hardware stores carry lead-check kits - usually swabs with a chemical
in a little tube that's attached that you break. The liquid flows into the
swab end and you swipe this across the area you want to test. Follow the
directions carefully on whatever kit you get but all the ones I've seen have
been pretty simple and if the swab turns pink, there's leachable lead
present. (There is also a type of kit available that has little test tubes
and bottles of solution et al. You'll have to decide which kind is better
for you.) If you can't find them at your hardware stores, then several of
the mail order companies already discussed here have them available. Axner
and Bailey are two companies that I know carry them. I'm sure there are
more.
I would test the dishes first and get that information before making further
decisions but if you've had children eating off of them, it might put your
mind at ease if you had them tested by their pediatrician for lead. Worrying
about this may be way worse than getting solid information and taking
whatever steps are called for, if any.
I really do feel for you. I made my own set too and I can't imagine finding
out after the fact that I couldn't use them. If they are actually leaching
lead, I do hope you find some other way to use them. I don't have nearly the
needed expertise to help you find a way to "fix" them but I do hope that
someone on this list will be able to help.
Warm regards,
Susie
Lauren BAll on tue 21 jan 97
This is a quick a dirty method for determining the presence of lead. It
is obviously not quantitative. Choose a plate, flood surface with fresh
distilled vinegar. Soak for 24 hours. If climate is dry cover with a
larger bowel and put wet paper towels under the plate to prevent
evaporation of the vinegar. At the end of 24 hours sprinkle powdered
sulfer on the surface of the vinegar. If lead is present you will get a
brown precipitate.
You can also buy lead test kits at some of the larger chain hardware
stores. those that don't carry them can usually order them.
Christine Davis on wed 22 jan 97
I don't know what glazes, stains, etc., you were using but they are not
necessarily "full of lead." I have had porcelin dishes from my great-
aunt for many many years and have never been concerned with
lead.
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