CERAMIC TOXICOLOGY

Edited by William C. Alexander

Reprinted courtesy of CONTACT

Considering the number and variety of ceramic materials
available to the contemporary potter, it seems inevitab
that some of them would be toxic. <A surprisingly
large number are, but more dangerous to the potter are
the many materials which cause pulmonary disorders when
inhaled. These are seemingly inert and benign materia}:
and cause no immediate effect. Symptoms are slow to
develop and, as a rule, there is no dramatic change

in a short period of time. Hence the person affected
may not realize the illness until it has caused perma-
nent damage. The results of such damage are often
irreversible, and the result is permanent disability.

Materials in this category are considered in the first
section of this paper.

A number of materials are actually poisonous to the huma
system and many are dangerous in one way if inhaled

and another if ingested. Many are deadly. These are
reported in the second section.

NON-TOXIC MATERIALS

Many of the materials used in ceramics are not poisonous
in that they may be taken internally with no detrimental
effect. The danger in these materials lies in the
damage they may bring to the Tungs if inhaled. As a
rule, one exposure is not particularly dangerous, but
repeated exposure compounds the build-up and very seriou
effects indeed may result. Silicosis, long recognized
as one of occupational diseases associated with pottery
and other dust producing industries, is a classic
example. It is contracted after inhaling finely ground
silica dust. Usually an exposure of ten to twenty years
is needed to produce really severe symptoms, but dis-
ability has been reported after only six months exposure
Factors regulating the length o* exposure necessary to
produce symptoms are the concentration of silica dust in
the air and size of the silica particle. The higher the
concentration and the smaller the particle size, the
shorter the period required to contract noticeable

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