1) Lead poisoning from drinking Kombucha tea brewed in a ceramic pot. Tri Giang Phan, Jane Estell, Geoffrey Duggin, et al. MJA 1998; 169: 644-646. Kombucha tea is an alternative therapy that is gaining popularity as a remedy for a diverse range of ailments. We report two cases of symptomatic lead poisoning requiring chelation therapy in a married couple who had been drinking Kombucha tea for six months, brewing the tea in a ceramic pot. We postulate that acids in the tea eluted lead from the glaze pigment used in the ceramic pot, in a manner analogous to elution of lead from crystal decanters by wine and spirits. Read more
2) Environmental lead poisoning from lead-glazed earthenware used for storing drinks. Sabouraud S,Coppéré B,Rousseau C, et al. La Revue de Medecine Interne / Fondee … par la Societe Nationale Francaise de Medecine Interne [2009, 30(12):1038-43] It is recommended to search for lead intoxication in patients with unexplained anemia. Environmental sources of lead can be multiple. Their relative importance has to be ranked during the environmental investigation and among these, lead-glazed earthenware must be considered as a source of high lead exposure when drinks are stored inside and thus can soak. Read more