Further cases of lead poisoning from wine

Perrelli, G; Capellaro, E; Pira, Enrico; Maina, Giovanni; Vergnano, P

doi:10.1002/ajim.4700050506

Cited by 6 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 10 publications

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“…In one study it was found that lead poisoning was caused by wine passing through lead-containing outlet tubes of storage casks (9). There have also been cases of lead poisoning from homemade wine where storage and fermentation vats contained lead (10,11). The storage of port and alcohol products in lead crystal decanters is another source of lead contamination (12), as is chewing of the lead foil closures on the neck of wine bottles (13).…”

Section: Grand Rounds In Environmental Medicinementioning

confidence: 99%

Lead poisoning from homemade wine: a case study.

Mangas

Visvanathan

Alphen

2001

Environ Health Perspect

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A 66-year-old man suffered the symptoms of severe lead poisoning for 2 years before diagnosis. The man had a blood lead level (PbB) on admission to hospital of 98 microg/dL. A detailed investigation revealed that the poisoning occurred as a result of drinking a homemade red wine, for which analyses showed a lead concentration up to 14 mg/L--70 times the Australian maximum limit for lead in wine. The source of the lead was a highly corroded enamel bathtub in which grape crushings and juice were stored for a week prior to bottling. The corrosion of the enamel surface of the bathtub had resulted in pitted patches up to 1 mm in depth along the side of the bathtub. Powdering of the tub surface was evident below a level where wine had been in contact with the sides of the tub. The homemade wine had a pH of 3.8, which would have greatly contributed to the solubilization of metals from the glaze. We conducted a test in which commercial red wine of similar pH and containing < 0.2 mg/L lead was placed in this tub for 7 days. Subsequent testing revealed a lead level of 310 mg/L. This high lead concentration is consistent with the surface area of enamel on the bathtub being in contact with a small liquid volume as in the case of the leaching test using commercial red wine. This case study highlights the importance of the use of food-grade materials for the preparation and storage of homemade beverages or food.

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Section: Grand Rounds In Environmental Medicinementioning

confidence: 99%

Lead poisoning from homemade wine: a case study.

Mangas

Visvanathan

Alphen

2001

Environ Health Perspect

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Chewing electric wire coatings: An unusual source of lead poisoning

Franco

Cottica

Minoia

1994

American J Industrial Med

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This report describes a case of lead poisoning occurring in an electrician as the result of an unusual personal habit, namely, the chewing of lead-containing coatings of electric wires. A coating chewing test showed that a few minutes after beginning chewing, saliva lead concentration increased from 10 micrograms/l to several milligrams per liter. This case is an example of poisoning caused by an occupationally related source (coatings containing lead) as a consequence of a singular and unconventional worker's habit.

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