Lead Hookah?

[Hexa]

I have a feeling im being real dumb but on the mya hookah website it says their crystal hookahs have 24% lead
http://www.myasaray.com/store/index.asp?DEPARTMENT_ID=47

[Canon]

its in the glass. crystal has lead in it, thats what makes it crystal. when you put lead into glass it makes it stronger and have a ring to it if you flick it. crystal is also more likely to chip off then break completely like glass.

but crystal is still save to drink/smoke out of.

[Kathrynx]

Actually. It is safe to smoke and drink from...but don't be keeping your water in there. I know that you clean the water out anyway, but be sure to get it really clear in there. I have a decantur set made of crystal, and you can't keep your booze in there for more than a few hours because of the risk that it will get contaminated with the lead...

Just my two cents.

[Codename067]

you should be fine, keep the water out when you finish sessions to stay safe i guess.

[sss8789]

as for lead, pure lead is not poisonous (the element) but its what they miss with it that makes it poisonous and they might use pure lead in crystal.
Edit: if anyone knows this is completely false then tell me but my chem. teacher, who has a doctorate in chem, told us this Edited February 11, 2008 by sss8789

[Evil_Spork]

Glass consists of a network former, typically silica (SiO2), and network modifiers, including alkali fluxes such as potassium oxide or sodium oxide, and a stabilizer, typically calcium oxide. Lead oxide acts as both a flux and a stabilizer. Lead glass forms part of the silica-potassium-lead system, where lead replaces the calcium content of typical potash glasses.[1] Lead glass contains typically 18-35 mol% PbO, whilst modern lead crystal, historically also known as flint glass due to the original silica source, contains a minimum of 24% lead oxide.[2] Technically, the term crystal should never be applied to glass, as glass by definition lacks a crystalline structure, but the use of the term lead crystal remains popular due to historical and commercial reasons, originally stemming from the Venetian practice of calling rock crystal imitating the style of Murano glassmakers, cristallo. A naming convention which has been maintained to the present day to describe decorative hollowware.[3]

Items made of lead glass may leach lead into the food and beverages contained.[8][9] Acidic food and drink tend to encourage more leaching. The amount of leached lead tends to be low when the glass is used for a short period of time, such as over a meal. On prolonged contact, such as wine stored in lead crystal decanters, levels as high as 20 ppm have been found.[9] While the amount of lead leached may be small, the risk is considered by some, such as the FDA, to be preventable.[8]

edit:
the above is about lead GLASS, the link below has the info for lead CRYSTAL. which is almost identical.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead_crystal


Edited February 13, 2008 by Evil_Spork

[speel]

and if you pressurize lead enough you'll get diamonds

[austinthecity]

and if you pressurize lead enough you'll get diamonds

or carbon...

[Canon]

and if you pressurize lead enough you'll get diamonds

or carbon...

only carbon

[guyt]

There is no way to make diamonds out of lead. Diamonds are pure carbon, like graphite just a different crystal geometry.

Items made of lead glass may leach lead into the food and beverages contained.[8][9] Acidic food and drink tend to encourage more leaching. The amount of leached lead tends to be low when the glass is used for a short period of time, such as over a meal. On prolonged contact, such as wine stored in lead crystal decanters, levels as high as 20 ppm have been found.[9] While the amount of lead leached may be small, the risk is considered by some, such as the FDA, to be preventable.[8]

20 ppm of lead in food and drink is not dangerous. If you are eating fish, for example, any fish below 500 ppm of lead is considered safe. 500-1000 ppm should be eaten in moderation (just a couple times a week) and any thing above 1000 ppm should be avoided. So if you get 20 ppm of lead you'll be fine.

And the thing about pure lead not being poisonous, your teacher meant like a chunk of metal lead is not poisonous. The second you use it as a reagent for anything, like glass crystals, it is no longer pure and is dangerous.

Basically don't clean the glass with anything a strong acid and you'll be fine. Just don't eat the glass if it does breaks.