Co-operative study on the release of lead from crystalware

✍ Scribed by E. Guadagnino; L. Gramiccioni; M. Denaro; M. Baldini

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 157 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0894-3214
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1099-1522(199803/04)11:2<45::aid-pts417>3.0.co;2-2

✦ Synopsis

The Istituto Superiore di Sanita Á promoted a study on lead availability from crystalware. The study was conducted in collaboration with a glass research Institute, on glass articles provided by two of the major Italian lead crystal producers. The whole spectrum of lead-bearing glasses from 7 up to 32% PbO was investigated. Short-term extraction tests carried out with 4% acetic acid on three sets of 24% PbO stemware of different composition, show that lead release is closely related to the hydrolytic resistance of the glass. A linear correlation was found between sodium released from the bulk glass and lead released from the surface at any time after the ®rst leach. Experiments of repeated leaching with wine and brandy showed that lead release decreases with increasing number of extractions, similarly to the decrease observed with 4% acetic acid. Long-term experiments carried out with brandy on a set of six decanters for three months at room temperature con®rmed the well-known square root dependence of lead release with time. On the basis of these results an estimation of the risk associated with the conditions of consumer use is attempted.