Document e54xXwX1rYr5mq8pn1bbxXn9

JL'3ti! lim c iiB sflir fe s A s ^ l ^ t I M i ,f e c c . 2 9 2 MADISON AVENUE NEW YORK. N. Y. 10017 AREA CODE 212 OR 9 -6 0 2 0 S IM O N D. S T R A U S S . PRESIDENT R O B E R T H E N D R IC K S , VICE PRESIDENT J O H N M ETC A LFE. VICE PRESlOENT H . J. W H IT S O N , VICE PRESlOENT RO BERT L1NOLET ZtE FELD EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT ANO TREASURER D A V ID M. B O R C IN A SECRETARY AND ASSISTANT TREASURER DON G. FOWLER DIRECTOR OF HEALTH ANO SAFETY January 28, 196 6 Robert A. Kehoe, M.D. Kettering Laboratory University of Cincinnati College of Medicine - Eden Avenue Cincinnati 19, Ohio ' Dear Dr. Kehoe: Don Fowler has asked me to send you for your review the enclosed copies of correspondence relating to the ASTM test C 555-64-T for,the Deter mination of Lead Extracted from Glazed Ceramic Surfaces. - /> Inasmuch as this test method is based largely upon work done at the Kettering Institute, we will appreciate your writing to Mr. Harry Raybin of the New York City Health Department and providing him with any additional information you feel may be applicable. His address is . as follows: i Mr. Harry Raybin New York City Health Department 125 Worth Street New York 13, New York . Since it is expected that a final decision will be made on this matter within the next few weeks, if you agree we will appreciate your com municating with him at your earliest convenience. Very truly yours, p .. -i ( . / V~ ) -O-- , * James C. Roumas Assistant Director Health and Safety JCR:sw enclosure N22052 January 20, 1966 Mr. Edwin Ludewig Acting Assistant Commissioner Environmental Sanitation Department of Health The City of New York 125 Worth Street New York 13, New York ' ^ * Dear Mr. Ludewig: This re f e r s to Mr. W. C. Mohr's letter to yo u d a t e d J a n u a r y 6, 1966 c o n c e r n i n g the A S T M test C 5 5 5 - 6 U - T for the D e t e r m i n a t i o n of Lead Extracted from Glazed Ceramic Surfaces. We are currently using this test in work co-sponsored by the International Lead Zinc Research O r g a n i z a t i o n and the U. S. Potters Association. Mr. Don F o w l e r of the Lead Industries Association was responsible for initiating this re- ' search and the earlier work at The Kettering Laboratory, Department of Preventative Medicine and Industrial Health, College of Medicine, University o f Cincinnati. You may want to discuss this w it h Mr. Don Fowler (212-679-6020). The following commercial laboratory is set up to run the ASTM test on glazed cup samples: Pittsburgh Testing Laboratory 850 Poplar Street ~ Pittsburgh 20, Pennsylvania Attention: Mr. William Walters All the work to date has shown conclusively that the properly designed and processed lead glaze presents no problem in respect to lead release which concurs with what you stated in your letter. The domestic dinnerware producers have been aware of this for many years and have taken the necessary steps to insure the high acid resistance of the lead glazes used. Our current research here includes preparing a manual, which can be distributed widely throughout the world, and which will instruct on composition and production parameters to attain high acid resistant glazes. Sincerely, SCHOOL OF CERAMICS John H. Koenig Director N22052.01 P. S. Your letter to me of January 13th came after I had written this letter. .\ The only British test I know about is the so-called Thorpe Test. However, this test was concerned with the solubility of the lead compound or lead frit in powder form as intro duced into the glaze batch in the plant. It was not a test of lead release from the fired or finished glaze surface. + \T . / \ "V s; - V. > V M-incj I20 w o r t h cTRErr NKW YORK I . H. V. TH E CITY o r NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH December 31# 1965 i. T u. w o r t h 4-aaoo Mr. W. C. Mohr Ferro Corp, Refractory Division Product Development laboratory '> Cooksville, Ohio ' . Dear Mr, Mohr: . As chairman of the ASTM Committee C-21 on Ceramic Whitewarea and Related Products we are seeking your advice on a matter that in our . opinion is of considerable public health importance. . i ' We recently had occasion to embargo some crockery imported from Japan dus to the fact that the pigment, which contained lead, on the . interior of the mug was soluble in dilute organic acid3,, As a matter of ' fact when the interior of the mug was filled with 4 per cent acetic acid and left to stand overnight for 12 hours the entire pigment was removed and analysis disclosed that it contained as much as 3 mg. lead per square inch, or a total of 723 mg. I am sure y o u ^ l l $gree that this is excessive and we are now confronted with the question as to what standard we should .* set, '. . 7' ' We feel that it might not be practical to require that only, lead-free pigments be used as this might be a hardship on manufacturers. Furthermore, we are aware that if the crockery is properly processed so- that the glaze is extremely hard none of th pigment will dissolve out. We have therefore concluded that the most practical standard that might be employed would be one that relates to the maximum amount of lead or : other toxic chemical that would be dissolved out after the mug or crockery is exposed to 4 per cent acetic acid for a total of "X" hours at a temperature of "X1! degrees, ' ; We would appreciate it if you would advise a if in your opinion this is the best approach. We would also appreciate your expert opinion as to the maximum amount of lead that should be permitted to be N22052.02 Mr. W. C. Mohr - 2- December 31, 1965 extracted if this formula were used and the temporature of the A per cent acetic acid that you would deem most advisable. If you have any oth'.r suggestions they would be most welcome. -' In view of the fact that the crockery industry is awaiting oyr final decision within the next few weeks we would appreciate a reasonably prompt answerr . Very truly yours, Edwin Ludewig 7 Acting Assistant Commissioner Environmental Sanitation \ \ ( c.c;__D r .- J o h f E tris Perkins Poland Mohr 43731 xxsoc (614) 982-2070 January 6, 1966 . . Mr. Edwin Ludewig Acting A ssistant C om m issioner Environmental Sanitation - Department of Health v The City of New York 125 Worth Street . ' New York 13, New York Dear Mr. Ludewig: I am m ost pleased to be able to tell you that A.S.T.M . Committee C-21 has a tentative method of test for the Determ ination of Lead Extracted from Glazed Ceram ic Surfaces; this test method carries A.S.T.M . designation C 555-64-T . This test method was developed in an sw er to a problem , very sim ilar to yours, which occurred in California some years ago, . This test method is based largely upon work done at the K ettering Institute under the sponsorship of the U. S. P o tte r s1 A sso ciation. By carbon copy of this letter to Dr. John H. Koenig of the School of C eram ics at Rutgers U niversity, 1 am asking Dr. Koenig to supply you .. with the nam es of those at Kettering Institute who are active on this project. I do th is , because I am unable p erson ally to te ll you the m axim um amount of lead that should be perm itted to be extracted without creating a dangerous situation for the u sers of the crockery. I believe that the B ritish have a standard which states the m aximum amount of lead release allow able;.p er- . , haps Dr. Koenig w ill be able to give you som e information on this standard also. - A copy of A.S.T.M . T est C 555-64-T may be obtained from A.S.T.M . hoadquarters. By carbon copy of this letter to M r. Sam E tris of A .S.T .M ., I am informing that organization of your in terest. If, in a reasonable tim e, you do not obtain a suitable answ er to your problem , please do not hesitate to contact m e.again . . Very truly yours. N22052.03 * , W illiam C. Mohr q Chairman,