Help with a tea pot?

[jewelbug]

I'm new to the forum, and in wandering around here, there's a lot of talk about gongfu brewing and yixing teapots and the like. Now, I've never used this method, but it appeals to me, since I already do multiple infusions of the oolongs that I brew Western style.

I happen to have a pot that a friend gave me, and I'm pretty sure its one of the aforementioned yixing pots. She received it as a gift from some Chinese classmates, who purchased it in China. My friend thought it was lovely, but didn't have space for it and didn't think she'd ever use/display it, so she gave it to me. I'm tempted to try it out, but I'm afraid of the clay quality since I don't really know its origins...can I get lead poisoning, for instance?

I thought maybe if i posted pics someone might recognize the writing on it and give me some guidance?

Here is the pot.
I also took pics of the manufacturer's insignia on the bottom of the pot and
cups. I hope they're readable--my camera was having trouble focusing.

Its a truly beautiful set that I keep on display, but I've never used it since I'm not sure if its safe. Any help in translating and/or figuring out the origins would be greatly appreciated! I figured its at least worth asking. If i can't get to the bottom of it, i'll just have a good excuse to buy a new pot.

[Space Samurai]

I could be wrong, but I think you can get lead testing kits at hardware stores, if you want to be safe.

I think its unlikely that just by looking at the writing, anyone will be able to tell you for sure that the pot is safe, but I could be wrong about this, too.

[MarshalN]

If lead poisoning is so easy, we'd all be dead by now....

Honestly, even if you ground up the whole thing and eat it, I don't think you can get into much trouble. Lead poisoning is far, far, far overrated as a risk in using yixing pots. People still use teaware that are known to definitely have lead in the glaze -- black raku ware, for example. If anything, I'd worry about the pesticides in the tea before I worry about the lead in the pot.

What I CAN tell you about your pot and cups is that 1) they're not made by the same people (nothing wrong with that, btw). 2) The pot is ordered by a factory and given as a gift to probably visitors who are on business, i.e. if you do business with them, they will give you that pot as a souvenir. As such, it's probably not some super low grade pot. Hard to say for sure, of course. But it looks ok and like a normal yixing pot to me.

[Salsero]

jewelbug, you probably don't know, but MarshalN is Chinese and knows more about pots and tea than 98% of the rest of the forum put together. His blog (here) is followed closely by quite a few TeaChatters.

Just as Space Samurai says, lead testing kits are commonly available, if not in hardware stores then on the internet. In December 2006, Stéphane at TeaMasters checked his own pots for lead. You can read his narrative and techniques HERE.

[MarshalN]

jewelbug, you probably don't know, but MarshalN is Chinese and knows more about pots and tea than 98% of the rest of the forum put together. His blog (here) is followed closely by quite a few TeaChatters.[/url]

That's quite far from the truth, Salsero . I certainly don't know more than 98% of the rest of the forum put together!

[Salsero]

That's quite far from the truth, Salsero . I certainly don't know more than 98% of the rest of the forum put together!

Sorry, I miscalculated, it's actually 96.3%. Standard disclaimers apply.

[jewelbug]

Hehe, so forum-stalk MarshalN to learn stuff, that's my lesson!

My initial thought was also along the lines of "can a tiny little pot could do that much damage" (like MarshalN said, how much can it possibly leach), but figured since people talk about unsafe pottery all the time maybe I was just being cavalier.

MarshalN--thanks for the info, much appreciated.

Space Samuri--Thanks, I think I'll pick up a testing kit just to see. Now I just have to find a hardware store on my way home! It occurs to me that I can't think of any, though I'm sure I pass them all the time and don't even notice they're there.

Salsero--Thanks for the links!

[betta]

If lead poisoning is so easy, we'd all be dead by now....

Honestly, even if you ground up the whole thing and eat it, I don't think you can get into much trouble. Lead poisoning is far, far, far overrated as a risk in using yixing pots. People still use teaware that are known to definitely have lead in the glaze -- black raku ware, for example. If anything, I'd worry about the pesticides in the tea before I worry about the lead in the pot.

That sounds like the same words I heard from one of my graduate students when he grabbed a piece of 'safe glass wool' which sent him to hospital.
The glass wool was supposed to be 'safe to be grabbed' but he ended up getting the glass in his arteries and cost him one of his eyes.
The message is clear, anything which is now 'safe' doesn't always stay 'safe' over the time.
Researches even proved that some chemicals which were labelled as safe become hazardous today.
We can't see whether lead is in the pot, unless we test it. The leached lead (due to oxidation,etc) from any glazed teawares is 100 times less hazardous than the lead itself, but if you ground the pot, one dose of 100 mg lead (equal to size of couple of fine sand granulates) will send anyone easily to the afterlife.
The danger of lead is no joke, the MSDS of lead is here; otherwise dirty business tactics to ruin competitors' reputation won't use it as a weapon.

[Grubby]

glass wool, is that the stuff thats used for insulation?

I have always had a very bad feeling about that stuff - now it seems it was justified O_O

[olivierco]

but if you ground the pot, one dose of 100 mg lead (equal to size of couple of fine sand granulates) will send anyone easily to the afterlife.

I don't think so: you need to ingest at least 100g of lead to be sent in the afterlife directly (2000mg/kg)
One common way of lead poisoning for children is to ingest flakes of leaded paint and they didn't die from ingesting 0.1g of lead.

[betta]

but if you ground the pot, one dose of 100 mg lead (equal to size of couple of fine sand granulates) will send anyone easily to the afterlife.

I don't think so: you need to ingest at least 100g of lead to be sent in the afterlife directly (2000mg/kg)
One common way of lead poisoning for children is to ingest flakes of leaded paint and they didn't die from ingesting 0.1g of lead.

Oli, thanks for updating. The data I have, the lowest lethal dose for human (regardless age) is about 1.47 mg/kg. Providing an average guy has weight about 70 kg, especially asian who drinks tea more than others, 100 mg will be lethal. If not sent to the afterlife, the person will at least get severe side effects. Probably die slowly like the ex-russian secret agent

I regret for the rest of my life for not being strict to him as well as himself.

[Pentox]

but if you ground the pot, one dose of 100 mg lead (equal to size of couple of fine sand granulates) will send anyone easily to the afterlife.

I don't think so: you need to ingest at least 100g of lead to be sent in the afterlife directly (2000mg/kg)
One common way of lead poisoning for children is to ingest flakes of leaded paint and they didn't die from ingesting 0.1g of lead.

Oli, thanks for updating. The data I have, the lowest lethal dose for human (regardless age) is about 1.47 mg/kg. Providing an average guy has weight about 70 kg, especially asian who drinks tea more than others, 100 mg will be lethal. If not sent to the afterlife, the person will at least get severe side effects. Probably die slowly like the ex-russian secret agent

A lethal dosage of lead isn't so simple as a singular number. The amount varies GREATLY based upon the form of the lead and intake method. Elemental Lead, Lead oxide, lead chloride, and lead acetate for example all have massively different lethal dosages. Along with intake vectors. For instance swallowing elemental lead (although not a good idea) is going to be different than say injecting some into your blood.

[Salsero]

I regret for the rest of my life for not being strict to him as well as himself.

Is that the same material we call fiberglass? How does it get into your blood, via inhaling? Surely not through the skin?

[silverneedles]

in general, for adults the most significant lead source is by breathing it from the air( it also has the greatest absorption ~40%), occupational exposure(place of work), moonshine are among the top situations and causes.

exposure by ingesting lead has absorption 13%, but this is increased if fasting (when other food products and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc are not there to keep lead from absorbing more). But in children eating with lead contaminant is the significant way of lead poisoning(children also have higher absorption at 50%!)

the important thing is how much lead is in the blood and for how long.

lead exposure at low levels for a long period of time has not been studied very well. most of the time its said to be asymptomatic.

blood lead levels (high) will cause anemia, abdominal pain and peripheral neuropathy among the symptoms.

[MarshalN]

That sounds like the same words I heard from one of my graduate students when he grabbed a piece of 'safe glass wool' which sent him to hospital.
The glass wool was supposed to be 'safe to be grabbed' but he ended up getting the glass in his arteries and cost him one of his eyes.
The message is clear, anything which is now 'safe' doesn't always stay 'safe' over the time.
Researches even proved that some chemicals which were labelled as safe become hazardous today.
We can't see whether lead is in the pot, unless we test it. The leached lead (due to oxidation,etc) from any glazed teawares is 100 times less hazardous than the lead itself, but if you ground the pot, one dose of 100 mg lead (equal to size of couple of fine sand granulates) will send anyone easily to the afterlife.
The danger of lead is no joke, the MSDS of lead is here; otherwise dirty business tactics to ruin competitors' reputation won't use it as a weapon.

I certainly don't intend to suggest anybody actually doing that. However, that is assuming they have lead in the pot at all.... which I am not entirely convinced of. How many people here using those lead test kits have found lead in their yixing pots?