Why is crystal dangerous for humans?

Few people think about the role of lead in human life. For a long time, this heavy metal was used by people very actively – it was a component of a wide variety of paints (including for houses and furniture), glazes for ceramic products, and cosmetics. There were even dishes made of lead; they made pipes from this metal, and also added its compounds to gasoline and crystal. Lead is used much less frequently today than it used to be, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get lead poisoning.

Lead in crystal

Real crystal (lead crystal) always contains a lot of lead – more precisely, lead (II) oxide, PbO. Its share should be at least 24% – and, of course, sometimes it can be higher (up to 35-40%). Crystal products continue to be produced today. In good condition, so to speak, they only pose a health hazard if you use them to store alcoholic and sour drinks/sour foods. For example, you shouldn’t store cognac or port wine in a crystal decanter for weeks, much less months. Of course, it is very unlikely that you will die after drinking it, but you will receive a large and completely unnecessary dose of lead for your body. However, you can use crystal glassware, including decanters, to serve drinks on the table. According to tests conducted in Canada, during lunch, the lead content of a drink contained in a crystal piece is typically well below 0,2 ppm, the upper limit allowed in Canada; Moreover, within a few weeks of keeping the wine in a crystal decanter, the lead content in this wine increases to 20 ppm, exceeding the maximum permissible concentration by 100 times (see here). I will add that children are usually not recommended to drink and eat from crystal things, especially on a regular basis. The California Department of Public Health, for example, states that crystal glassware can be hazardous to children as well as pregnant women (see here). The point here is that lead is absorbed much more actively in a child’s body than in an adult, and the consequences can be very sad. We’ll talk more about this later. As I read, lead is normally chemically and physically isolated in the structure of a crystal piece (see this article, for example); “leakage” can occur when the dishes are significantly damaged and when acidic and/or alcoholic drinks/food have been in them for a relatively long time. If real crystal items have cracks or other noticeable damage, it is best to remove them from circulation. In addition, great care should be taken when handling crystal items that have been used for a long time to store acidic and/or alcoholic drinks or highly acidic foods. Finally, you need to stop using crystal products with a noticeably degraded surface. Why is lead needed in crystal? It gives the product a very high degree of transparency, shine and strength; In addition, thanks to lead, crystal glassware “plays” beautifully and shimmers in the light. A side effect is the large weight of the products. By its beautiful play, crystal-clear transparency and great weight, you can identify real lead crystal. So-called crystal glass is not real crystal, but may contain lead (less than 24%).

Lead in porcelain and ceramics

Porcelain, earthenware and other ceramics may also contain lead/lead oxide. In the past it was often used for glazes and paints; today it is used much less frequently. An indicator of safety may be the fact that products are sold in large American and Canadian stores; These countries have very strict standards for lead content in tableware. You can also send an inquiry to the manufacturer or retailer regarding lead content. You should be suspicious of handicraft dishes, all kinds of small-scale handmade products from small companies, as well as traditional terracotta items, because the lead content there can be significant and pose a health hazard. Such products should not be used regularly unless you are sure there is no lead in them. If we talk about vintage and antique ceramic dishes over 40 years old, then there could easily be lead. but other options are not excluded. It is noted that it is more often present in dishes painted with bright colors; in plain white items its presence is less likely, but not excluded. Here I came across an opinion that products made from real classic porcelain (porcelain) without overglaze painting should not contain lead, because they are fired at a very high temperature (about 1300C), which makes its use pointless. The previously mentioned material from the California Department of Health also states that lead is rarely found in plain white cookware. On the other hand, I sent a request to Noritake regarding products from one of their long-discontinued series (produced from 1963 to 1985). This is white dinnerware with a platinum finish, made from classic translucent porcelain (porcelain) as far as I can tell. They told me that it may contain lead, and that I need to focus on the time of purchase/production. The turning point was 1973. If the product was produced/purchased before 1973, it may contain lead, if after 1973, then if it does, it will be in small quantities, because it was in that year that strict FDA regulations came into effect. If the production date (it is not indicated on the products) and the date of purchase are unknown, then the following rule should be followed: the products can be used for serving and eating food, but not for storage. In the first case – if they have no damage or signs of degradation, in the second case – regardless of the presence of any defects. I sent similar requests to Bernardaud and Mikasa, but the answers were unsatisfactory. More precisely, there was no response from Bernardaud at all, but from Mikasa the following response came: now there is no lead in our dishes (or its concentration is not dangerous), but we don’t know what happened before, and we don’t even know in what years what series was produced. The fact is that not so long ago (in 2008) this company was bought by Lifetime Brands – and this is the result, a complete loss of history. What do we get in the end? Vintage and antique cookware should not be used on a daily basis or for food/drink storage if it was manufactured before the mid-1970s. More modern products from large American and European companies are most likely safe (modern ones are almost certainly safe). At the same time, modern products from small manufacturers can pose a danger if they do not guarantee that they do not contain lead or that its content is minimal. For everyday use – including and especially for children! – it is better to choose dishes that you have no doubt about the lead content. If we talk about production time, I personally, for the sake of reinsurance, draw the line at the beginning of the 1990s. Another caveat: do not use items manufactured in the 1970s or earlier that show signs of heavy wear, degradation of the glaze, chips in areas in contact with food/drink, cracks, or spider webs of cracks in the glaze. Regarding the web of cracks (crazing), however, a remark needs to be made: under the glaze, in the actual ceramic “body” of the product, there is no or almost no lead, but acidic liquids and food can seep into the cracks, which are not completely washed out from there and contribute to the degradation of the glaze and release of lead from it. This is my hypothesis (I don’t know if it’s true or not). In any case, as the California Department of Public Health notes, even if there is no damage to the cookware, lead leakage can still occur. I will add that, all other things being equal, products with overglaze painting with bright colors can pose a great danger (there may be not only lead, but also cadmium). If the painting is on the side that comes into contact with food or drink, and the item was made a long time ago (50 or more years ago), then I would not use it regularly, especially if the painting shows signs of wear and if it takes up a large part of the surfaces. At the same time, gold and platinum plating do not pose a threat. Is it possible to check whether there is a “leakage” of lead from dishes? Yes, but I did not find the corresponding tests in Russia. In the USA they are available for sale and are relatively inexpensive, but in Russia there seem to be no simple household tests for lead, and others will cost a fairly large sum. Finally, it is worth noting that it is not recommended to heat utensils that contain significant amounts of lead, place them in the microwave, or wash them in the dishwasher.

The dangers of lead and signs of lead poisoning

The insidiousness of lead lies in the fact that when people are poisoned by this metal, as a rule, lead is the last thing they suspect. Symptoms at the initial stage are quite common: headaches, loss of appetite, general weakness, abdominal pain, increased fatigue, tiredness, irritability, nervousness, nausea, periodic vomiting. Then forgetfulness, anemia, memory loss, impaired physical and mental performance, and depression may appear. Next, a lead-colored border may appear on the gums. Over time, lead accumulates in bones and teeth, where it can remain for the rest of life because it is removed from the bones extremely slowly. High levels of lead in the body can contribute to the development of gout, which is believed to have been common among wealthy Europeans who routinely used crystal glassware to both drink and store alcoholic beverages (Emsley J., 2005). Keep in mind that a standard blood test usually does not include lead testing. A separate, special analysis needs to be done for lead. If, after reading the article, you suspect that there is significantly more lead in your body than necessary, contact a medical facility and get tested. In general, the words “more than necessary” are not very appropriate here, because humans do not need lead at all. The less it is, the better. However, I think that some amount of lead is still contained in the body of every person. To complete the picture, it is worth adding that lead is eliminated from the human body, but very slowly. Its half-life from soft tissues is several weeks, from bones – 10-20 years (data vary). (The half-life is the time it takes for the lead to be reduced by half.) In addition, I note that during pregnancy, lead deposited in the body / lead entering the body can begin to be directed into the child’s body, in some cases causing miscarriages, stillbirths, premature births, as well as negative developmental features of the child. Lead has a particularly negative effect on children, because it is absorbed by the child’s body much more actively than by adults, and excreted less efficiently. Possible problems with lead poisoning in children: bad and strange behavior, hyperactivity, low body weight, developmental delays, decreased intelligence. At high concentrations, seizures, irreversible changes in the brain, kidney problems, even coma may occur; A fatal outcome cannot be excluded (in especially severe cases; for example, in the 19th century there were deaths of children in factories that produced tableware – from lead poisoning as a result of constant work with lead-containing glaze). Not long ago, the Posudamart store in Nikolsky Passage was visited by Shila Nagi, the export director of one of the most famous crystal factories in Europe, Ajka Crystal, and an experienced expert in crystal products. We asked our guest to comment on the information that periodically appears in the media about the dangers of crystal and answer the most frequently asked questions about Ajka Crystal products. Posudamart Shila Nagi in the Posudamart store in Nikolsky Passage — Sometimes you can come across information that crystal is harmful to health. Is it really? In fact, this is nothing more than a myth; crystal does not pose a real danger at all. Crystal glass is so inert that the lead and other substances it contains do not leach out to the point of causing harm, especially during short-term contact with food. — What components, besides lead, are used to create crystal? For transparent crystal, silicon dioxide and oxides of lead, potassium, sodium and barium are used in different proportions. The percentage of these substances is indicated in the certificate available in the PosudaMart store. All these elements, especially lead oxide, give the products their unique transparency, bright shine and ringing “voice”. Colored glasses and vases are made according to other recipes, but we keep their composition secret (competitors are not asleep). I can tell you that all colors are the result of adding oxides of various metals to glass, for example, one of the most popular colors, blue, is obtained by adding cobalt oxide. Ajka Crystal Glasses for cognac made of colored crystal Grape series — Where does the factory purchase raw materials for production? In Hungary, unfortunately, there is very little raw material, so we have to purchase it from the countries of the European Union, primarily from Germany. — Handmade crystal is becoming increasingly rare, and it’s probably difficult to find professional craftsmen now? Previously – 20 years ago – Ajka Crystal had its own school, where they trained glassblowers and engravers. Nowadays, unfortunately, young people are not interested in learning this complex profession. We “import” glassblowers from Romania and Transylvania, where the majority of the population speaks . Young specialists undergo training at the factory, and then learn from the experience of senior craftsmen in the process of work. — Do you collaborate with foreign designers? Only our own designers work on Ajka Crystal brand products. In addition, we implement projects of many famous European design houses, such as Christian Dior, Hermes, Polo Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Marc Jacobs, Michael Aram, and, of course, we maintain close contacts with them and work with their designers. — Have you created for celebrities and celebrities? Yes, we carry out orders from an English company that supplies tableware to His Royal Highness Prince Charles. — Can bright sunlight or contact with food or drinks damage crystal? Absolutely not. If you follow the rules of caring for crystal products*, they will last for more than one generation.

• Do not wash crystal in hot water, otherwise it will become cloudy. It is best to dry with a soft towel or natural fabric napkin.
• It is not recommended to alternate cold water with hot water during use or washing: sudden temperature changes may cause the crystal to crack.
• If you need to put something hot into your crystal bowl, place it on a wooden board to prevent it from bursting.
• You cannot store crystal glasses in a pyramid (one inside the other), this can cause microcracks to appear.
• Crystal glassware should not be washed in the dishwasher.
• Crystal glassware should not be used for cooking in the oven or microwave.
• In order for the crystal to remain transparent and shining, it is necessary to periodically wipe it with alcohol or table vinegar.
• Do not clean crystal with abrasive cleaners or soda. If the product requires thorough cleaning, it is best to use special ultrasonic baths. Darkened crystal can be cleaned with a mixture of coarse salt and vinegar or starch.
• According to the folk recipe, contaminated crystal glassware should be soaked in boiled potato water. Dull crystal dishes, according to the same recipes, can be revived by wiping with a piece of raw potato.

What else to read:

• Stainless steel frying pan: how it is made and what are its features
• Gifts for March 8th for big and small joys
• Cookware for induction cookers – how is it different from regular cookware?
• Decoding symbols on metal and plastic utensils