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Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Swallowing silver plating

A commercial restaurant (five star) silver plated soup spoon that I assume was manufactured within the last twenty years. Would swallowing a half inch square piece of the silver plating contain any harmful chemicals?

Ian Avrith
- Canada
March 12, 2009

March 15, 2009

Hi, Ian. Although this is not the right place to get medical advice, I'd say this: Although glass contains no harmful chemicals I'd immediately go to the hospital if I swallowed some; it's not always a matter of chemicals. Although silver is a rather soft metal, I would not exclude all possibility of it cutting you. I would go to a hospital for X-rays and/or other tests a medical professional suggests. It's very hard to guess the thickness of the plating because it was probably plated several times and probably came off down to the base if someone knew the plating was gone, but it might be a few thousandths of an inch thick.

Regards,

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey

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