QUESTION: I recently purchased stoneware in Mexico but am reluctant to use it because it may possibly contain lead. Is there a way to test for lead?
ANSWER: Most ceramics have lead in the glaze.Dishes and cookware from large domestic manufacturers are fired at temperatures high enough to sufficiently harden the glaze and keep lead from leaching into food. But handmade ceramics and some imported ceramics are fired at lower temperatures or for an insufficient time, making the release of lead a risk.
The Food and Drug Admistration singles out ceramics from Mexico, India, China and Hong Kong as risks. Stoneware from Italy is also sometimes cited.
Further, glaze in ceramic ware can wear down from repeated washing in a dishwasher and lead can leach. Also, acidic foods like wine, vinegar and tomato or orange juice can speed up the release of lead.
For that reason, even if your ceramics test as safe, you might want to recheck them periodically. Lead accumulates in the body, mainly in the bones, and can lead to disorders of the nervous system, reproductive and cardiovascular system and the kidneys.
The FDA tests some commercial imports of ceramic ware, but it is very unlikely that ceramics brought in by travelers will be inspected.
If you have any concern, home testing kits can be used. The kits listed here can be used to check for lead in solder in food cans and copper pipes and in paint, dust or soil.
Frandon Lead Alert Kit, Frandon Enterprises, Post Office Box 300321, Seattle, Wash. 98103; (800) 634-2341, or for those using Visa or Mastercard, (800) 359-9000. The cost is $29.95 plus $3.50 for shipping and handling.
This kit, good for 100 tests, consists of a mild acid put on a cotton swab or piece of filter paper, which is then rubbed on the surface to be tested. Then, a lead-sensitive dye, also provided, is applied to the swab or paper. If lead is present the swab will become pink to red, depending on the concentration. The makers of the kit recommend that no items be used if any lead is indicated.
Lead Check Swabs, HybriVet Systems, Post Office Box 1210, Framingham, Mass. 01701; (800) 262-5323. Four swabs are $13.45, 8 are $17, 16 are $28.45, and 48 are $68.50; all prices include shipping and handling.
The swabs are described as being like a cigarette in shape and size. Each is crushed in the middle, releasing to the tip a solution that is activated by lead. The tip is rubbed against the tested surface.
If there is more than 1 milligram per square centimeter (the FDA standard threshold is 2.5 to 7 parts per million, depending on type of ceramic ware), the tip will change to pink. If there is no reaction, a swab can be used immediately for another test. This kit can be used on dust, the manufacturers say.
Leadcheck II, Abotex Enterprises, Tecumseh Postal Station, Post Office Box 3276, Windsor, Ontario N8N 2M4; (519) 735-8645. This kit, good for 60 uses, is $24.95, which includes shipping and handling.
With this method, vinegar is left for 24 hours on the surface to be tested, then taken up by the included dropper and released in a test tube. Solutions are added to the vinegar, which may turn color from yellow to brown, depending on the amount of lead; the concentration is determined by checking the solution against a color-comparison chart.
Water can also be tested. The kits are also distributed for the same price by Bailey Ceramic Supply, Post Office Box 1577, Kingston N.Y. 12401; (914) 339-3721, and Michigan Ceramics Supply, Post Office Box 342, Wyandotte, Mich. 48192; (313) 281-2300.
QUESTION: I am planning a trip to China in mid-October. I've heard that flooding there has disrupted travel and caused disease.
ANSWER: This summer's severe flooding in China has subsided, and tour companies report that itineraries, including cruises, will not be affected this fall.
The Beijing bureau of The Times reports that there is no flood-related health threat to travelers, such as cholera.
The province hardest hit was Anhui, where tourists rarely visit.