U.S. Food and Drug Administration Monitoring of Lead in Domestic and Imported Ceramic Dinnerware

Abstract

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) conducted a survey of domestic and imported ceramic dinnerware from January to February 1992 to determine the status of lead leaching from this ware. Ceramicware was screened at the collection point by using the Quick Color Test (QCT); if the QCT was positive, the ware was analyzed in the laboratory by using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). For imports, 5222 lots were examined using the QCT. Of these lots, 46 exceeded FDA's 1991 guidelines as determined by using AAS. For domestic ware, 676 lots were examined using the QCT, and 17 lots exceeded the 1991 guidelines. The violation rates, 0.9% for imports and 2.5% for domestic ware, were about twice as high as they would have been under the 1980 guidelines.