A new study has found that the glaze used on ceramic tea cups may affect the health of those who use them. Researchers at the University of Tokyo studied the glazing process of ceramic tea cups, which commonly use a combination of kaolin clay and an alkaline glaze. They found that the amount of alkaline glaze used significantly affected the amount of lead and cadmium present in the cups. Interestingly, the researchers found that cups glazed with more alkaline glaze had higher levels of lead and cadmium than cups glazed with less alkaline glaze. This may be because the higher amount of alkaline glaze causes more lead and cadmium to leach from the cup into the tea. The study suggests that those who use ceramic tea cups should take care to ensure that they are glazed with a lower amount of alkaline glaze. Doing so may help reduce the amount of lead and cadmium that leaches into the tea and thus reduce any potential health risks.

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source: Phys.org