Was using dishware with "glass disease" toxic?

[Devora]

I can't find a reliable source that actually says whether or not this is a thing so I figure if somebody knows I'd ask here.

I have a scene where a character is examining a glass mug he's using and he notes that it is not of great quality and is showing signs of glass disease.

Would it be unsafe to drink out of that mug, or would it be fine and that is simply a very poor quality glass mug?

 

[Karlin]

As the local chemist: It depends what kind of glass. Most glass is basically harmless, but, for example- lead crystal has lead in it.

 

[CupofJoe]

I've heard of glass hazing and cracking with age and exposure to the elements and things wrong with the way the glass was made [impurities and the like] but as Karlin says, I've think glass is mostly harmless.

 

[Queshire]

Wasn't there a type of glass made out of uranium that they used to make dishes out of?

 

[pmmg]

In a pinch, I would drink from it. But...if there were other options...

I think any harm would come from loose contaminants, dirt, and bits of glass that may have flaked off into the cup. Maybe if it has some type of secretion, but I suspect it could be cleaned away. But the glass itself....why would I expect it would add to the danger unless is was so frail, it might break or crack as I held it?

If it turned out to be really bad or fatal, I would expect it would have to be made with something that should not be in it, uranium or arsenic or such.

Yes, there is uranium glass. It glows in the dark.

 

[skip.knox]

I can't find a reliable source that actually says whether or not this is a thing so I figure if somebody knows I'd ask here.

I have a scene where a character is examining a glass mug he's using and he notes that it is not of great quality and is showing signs of glass disease.

Would it be unsafe to drink out of that mug, or would it be fine and that is simply a very poor quality glass mug?

There just isn't a substitute for research.
Glass disease - Wikipedia
With asking questions we learn what other people have to tell us.
With research, we learn for ourselves.

 

[Finchbearer]

Glass disease; otherwise known as p a t i n a.

 

[skip.knox]

Isn't patina something that happens to the surface of an object? Glass disease is a deterioration of the substance itself.

 

[Finchbearer]

Possibly. I wouldn’t know. It was more my observation of the fact that vintage glass with glass disease has that lovely antiqued look, regardless of degradation of material.

 

[Rexenm]

I think they should consider melting it down and re blowing it. It is true plastic is more susceptible to wear but a rare polymer.

 

[Devora]

There just isn't a substitute for research.
Glass disease - Wikipedia
With asking questions we learn what other people have to tell us.
With research, we learn for ourselves.

I already saw the article and it didn't answer my questions, hence why I figured somebody here might have already researched this.

 

[skip.knox]

Hm. You asked if "glass disease" would make someone sick, if they drank from a mug with that attribute. Since the attribute refers to a physical deterioration in the glass, it's not a disease in a medical sense. Short answer: no, they would not get sick from that.

 

[Finchbearer]

I think I’m with pmmg on this one in that the biggest concern would not be the potential toxicity of any adulteration of original glass formula that has created said glass disease in the first place, but more that the degradation of the material itself may shatter mid-drink.

 

[pmmg]

I saw that happen in real life. One of my High School acquaintances noticed that his beer bottle was chipped and wondered if he had accidentally swallowed the glass. Called poison control and all that. Turned out it was nothing, but the idea of glass breaking off while drinking has lived with me ever since.

 

[Prince of Spires]

Question is, do you want it / need it to be unsafe to drink from? I'm sure I can come up with half a dozen semi-plausible problems you could face with such a glass. However, as Skip mentions, glass disease isn't a disease in the medical sense. It's simply glass growing brittle and old.

 

[Devora]

I already know toxic doesn't mean disease-carrying.

 

[katelynschoumaker]

I think it depends on what you want your character to do. Do you want them to drink out of an unsafe glass and suffer the consequences, or do you want them to notice the warning sign(s) and take the safer route by choosing a different glass?

I honestly don't know much about glass disease, but if I pick up a glass that looks funky for whatever reason, I probably won't drink from it - just because I'd be concerned about hygiene.