Handling Old Things Safely: Lead and Radioactive Antiques

Before choosing a place for an antique bowl, a piece of glass or an old clock, consider what you want to do with it. Is the bowl for a shelf or for serving food? Will the clock remain intact, or are you thinking about taking it apart? Approach the object with those different uses in mind, alongside your interest in its decoration and condition.

Start with materials and intended use

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's guidance on lead-glazed traditional pottery explains that lead may be present in the glazes or decoration of some traditional pottery. If manufacture was improper, lead can move from the surface into food or drink prepared, stored or served in the dish. This is a reason to consider food use separately from the pleasure of collecting a piece for display.

The FDA includes antique pottery, damaged or excessively worn pieces, and pottery from an uncertain manufacturer among the types needing particular attention. When considering a bowl for the table, ask what is known about its manufacturer and whether it can be tested. Keep that question distinct from deciding whether you admire its shape or painted design.

Why exposure matters to the body

In its explanation of lead and the body, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says lead can harm almost every organ and system. In adults, exposure can cause decreased kidney function, heart-related problems and increased blood pressure, as well as difficulties with learning, memory and concentration. The agency also explains that lead can accumulate over time and is stored in bones.

For a collector considering work on furniture, the EPA names furniture refinishing among activities that can expose people to lead. It also says certain jobs and hobbies may increase exposure risk for the person doing them and their family. Think about the activity you are proposing, as well as the object itself, before making plans for an old finish.

The EPA's indoor-air guidance on lead notes that children absorb more lead than adults and that their developing brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to its damaging effects.

Display china versus food use

Look for any warning label before considering pottery for cooking, serving or storage. The FDA explains that decorative pottery may carry a warning stamped on its base saying it is not for food use. Its advice is to keep items carrying such warnings out of food and drink use, including storage. A decorative role is a separate choice from using a dish at mealtimes.

If you cannot test the pottery or establish that it comes from a reliable manufacturer, the FDA's advice about uncertain pottery is to consider avoiding cooking, serving or storing food and drinks in it. The agency also says washing, boiling or another process cannot remove lead from pottery. An extra wash is therefore no answer to that particular uncertainty.

The EPA's household guidance on reducing lead exposure advises against storing or serving food and liquids in lead crystal or lead-glazed pottery or porcelain. It notes that chipped or cracked containers can be especially harmful because lead can leach into their contents. Apply that guidance when considering a serving dish or a drinking vessel for use rather than display.

Before disturbing old paint

Pause over any plan that involves removing a painted surface. The EPA's warning about disturbing lead-based paint says harmful exposure can result when it is improperly removed by dry scraping, sanding or burning with an open flame. Keep that warning in view when considering work on an old painted piece.

Ask yourself whether the plan involves one of those activities before deciding what to do next. The EPA's warning concerns lead-based paint and the way it is disturbed; keep both parts of that description together. An object's appeal as a collecting piece and a proposal to work on its surface deserve separate consideration.

Uranium glass and radium dials

The EPA's RadTown guide to radioactivity in antiques says radioactive antiques are usually not a health risk while intact and in good condition. It explains that clocks, watches and dials that glow in the dark without a battery may contain radium or tritium. Canary glass contains a small amount of uranium, which gives it a yellow-green color and bright green fluorescence under a black light.

The same guidance says that, if radium is inhaled or swallowed, its radiation can interact with cells and damage them. The EPA specifically advises against taking apart radium watches or instrument dials. For a collector tempted to inspect the mechanism, that is a clear limit to keep in mind alongside the agency's reassurance about intact objects in good condition.

Food use brings a separate precaution: the EPA's advice for uranium glass is not to use it to hold food or drink, because it can chip and particles of uranium can be swallowed with the contents. For a broken radioactive antique, the agency advises disposal and directs owners to their state or local radiation control program for proper instructions.

Everyday handling habits

For activities involving lead-containing materials, the EPA's work and hobby precautions include keeping those materials away from living areas. It advises avoiding food handling and touching your mouth or face while working with lead materials, then washing your hands before eating or drinking afterward. Keep those instructions tied to the materials and activity involved when planning a collecting project.

The agency also advises changing clothes and shoes that may carry lead dust before entering a vehicle or home, and washing work or hobby clothing separately from the family's other clothes. These are precautions for work involving lead, including hobbies and consumer products, rather than a description of every collecting activity.

When uncertainty changes the decision

Return to the intended use before making a final choice: for pottery that cannot be tested or identified as coming from a reliable manufacturer, consider the FDA's advice to avoid food use. For broken radioactive antiques, follow the EPA's direction to obtain disposal instructions from the appropriate radiation control program. Keep the questions specific to the piece, its condition and what you propose to do with it.