Text 17227, 77 rader
Skriven 2008-12-02 20:49:50 av DAVE SACERDOTE (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av GLEN JAMIESON
Ärende: RECOVERY 285  81202
===========================
GJ> That is my point.  Did the Romans actually use lead vessels for
GJ> cooking, drinking or eating?  Bronze (copper and tin) is far better
GJ> for that purpose.  Roman artifacts of that type which I have seen are
GJ> bronze or pottery.  It is possible that some lead was used for water
GJ> pipes, although most water distribution conduits were baked clay.

From a page on lead poisoning from the University of Kentucky:

  "Spoilage was a problem in ancient Rome, and vintners discovered 
   that wine tasted better and lasted longer if it was mixed with 
   a concentrated grape syrup called sapa. The best sapa was boiled 
   in lead pots, allowing lead to leach into the syrup. When sapa 
   was mixed with wine, it sweetened it and also poisoned the
   microorganisms that cause fermentation and souring. Sapa was 
   also used in fruit and honey drinks, and as a food preservative.

   Josef Eisinger estimated a Roman consuming a liter of wine a 
   day would ingest about 20 mg of lead per day, which he said 
   was more than enough to produce chronic lead poisoning.

   A cultural shift at the height of the Roman Empire made it 
   socially acceptable for wives to drink wine, to which
   Gilfillan attributed a declining birth rate and a low rate 
   of surviving children among the wealthy. Today, the reproductive 
   effects of lead are well established, as are the effects on 
   childhood development and learning disabilities."

http://ces.ca.uky.edu/energy/lead/rome_lead.htm

BTW, I can vouch firsthand for the sweet taste of lead.  Skin
picks up lead easily via handling (as when glazing a leaded
window) and it can be easy sometimes to inadvertently touch
one's mouth.

DS> Do you know how easy lead leaches into acidic beverages?  
DS> Did you realize that historically, pottery glazes have 
DS> contained large amounts
DS> of lead which also easily leach into beverages?

GJ> I wonder if that is so.  I would expect a good, high 
GJ> temperature glaze to be impervious to any liquids.

There have been several recalls in the US of ceramics with high lead
content in the colorful glazes.  The beverages themselves
don't penetrate the glaze, but acids in the food or drink 
leach the lead.

Perhaps, given your suspicion of North American sources, you'd
prefer some info closer to home:

http://www.environment.gov.au/atmosphere/airquality/publications/ceramics.html

(It's an article from the Australian Government's Office of
Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts entitled
Lead Alert Facts: Lead in Ceramics.)

They even mention lead crystal, which perhaps you also consider
"impervious:"

   "Leaded crystal may contain anywhere between 14% and 36% lead 
    oxide. Spirits kept in crystal decanters for a long time can 
    become heavily contaminated."

GJ> My own theory for its demise was decline in the quality of its 
GJ> leaders.

You do understand the difference between "contributing factor"
and "cause," right?

---
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Restaurant Reviews; If I post it here in NCE, you'll find it 
blogged with photos at Dave's Cupboard.

http://bacon-labels.blogspot.com/ - A gallery of bacon package labels.
(The extra shelf in Dave's Cupboard.
 * Origin: Doc's Place BBS Fido Since 1991 docsplace.tzo.com (1:123/140)