LEACHING OF LEAD FROM LOCAL CERAMIC TABLEWARE

Ceramic tableware has long since been recognised as a source of lead p oisoning. Locally available ceramic utensils (cups, bowls, sauce plate s, cooking pots and spoons) were examined as possible sources of lead poisoning. The lead was leached out with 4% acetic acid stored in the samples at room temperature for 24 h. Overall, 54.7% of the sample ite ms tested exceeded the US FDA maximum permitted lead release from eart henware. Of the sauce plates 83.7% exceeded the safety limit and relea sed the highest levels of lead. The amount of lead leached out from th e samples decreased with repetitive leachings and increased with tempe rature. Lead is also found to be leached into acidic foods such as thi n soya sauce, tomato sauce and tamarind juice stored in samples of cer amic sauce plates for 24 h at room temperature.