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brooklyn1

On Mon, 13 Jan 2014 23:19:26 +0100, (Victor Sack)
wrote:

>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

Yep, plain water will leach lead from leaded glass, that's why lead
water pipes are no longer permitted. I have several leaded crystal
decanters but I stopped using them to store booze long ago.