Michael Kuettner > wrote:

> Victor Sack wrote:
> >
> > In a lead-crystal container, such as decanter, lead could leach into the
> > (liquid) contents. Here is what I once posted in a similar thread:
> > I think it was Decanter, a British wine (but occasionally spirits, too)
> > magazine which once conducted a test. It was many years ago and I don't
> > remember the results exactly, but they seemed to indicate that lead
> > leaching into the decanter's contents is a function of time. IIRC, the
> > conclusions were that, if you leave your whisk(e)y (or whatever) in the
> > decanter for weeks or months at the time, you should be careful; if you
> > leave it there for a few days, you shouldn't worry too much.
> >
> But whisk(e)y hasn't enough acid to leach out the lead.

It is acidic enough to do that.

> I think people get lead waterpipes (18th century onwards and also the
> Roman empire) mixed up with lead crystal.

There is no mix-up. It is a proven fact that such liquids as wines and
spirits do leach the lead out of lead crystal.

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1694534/pdf/amjph00549-0089.pdf>
<http://www.nytimes.com/1991/02/19/science/storing-wine-in-crystal-decanters-may-pose-lead-hazard.html>
<http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PII0140-6736%2891%2990803-W/abstract>
<http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Beverages+intoxicated+by+lead+in+crystal.-a09364442>
<http://www.porcupinehu.on.ca/inspection/documents/leadcrystal_02_27_2007e.pdf>
<http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hl-vs/iyh-vsv/prod/crystal-cristal-eng.php#po>
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/06/20/AR2006062000318.html>

Victor