Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Do copper utensils contains any trace of lead in it?
Does copper utensils contains any trace of lead?
SURESH Bhagathobbyist - Harrow, London, United Kingdom
December 9, 2008
Some do and some do not. Most do not, but that depends on what level you are talking about PPT or PPM or or PPB or PPTrillion.
James Watts- Navarre, Florida
December 11, 2008
What makes you think copper contains lead and what do you mean by "traces"? Please give more details of your concerns
Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
December 14, 2008
December 16, 2008
Increasingly sensitive methods of detection mean you can now find just about any element, anywhere, at levels that are quite insignificant biologically. As James says, if you look at parts per billion or parts per trillion you can find anything.
But whatever the lead level might be in the copper utensil, if it is in the copper then it is fixed/anchored/immobile/unavailable/etc. You could only get at it by dissolving the copper matrix that is holding the lead, and then you wouldn't have any utensil left. The copper doesn't dissolve when the utensil is used, so any lead that might be alloyed into the copper remains there.
Bill Reynolds [deceased]
consultant metallurgist - Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
We sadly relate the news that Bill passed away on Jan. 29, 2010.
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