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bone ash -- is it hazardous? suzanne kraman's rant re glaze religion

updated wed 21 apr 04

 

Dave Finkelnburg on tue 20 apr 04

and your stupidity

Suzanne,
You allege, "...you can become infected from Mad Cow
> Bone Ash...."
That is a serious allegation.
Please give us credible information to support your claim.
You cite, at the end of your post, an article on the Organic Consumers
Association website, http://organicconsumers.org/madcow/GregerCJDkills.cfm
Prions, a form of protein, produced by "mad cow" disease, are the
concern, and they are temperature resistant. The article you cited claims
prions can resist incineration at "...temperatures hot enough to melt lead."
That sounds pretty hot. However, the melting point of lead is 328
degrees-C, (625-F), or less than the temperature of the average campfire
over which you melt marshmallows. I don't know for sure what temperature
bone ash is calcined at, but previous posters to Clayart, who have
researched the subject, have cited temperatures from 600 to 1,000-degrees C.
I await scientific evidence that commercial bone ash is contaminated as
you claim. As responsible potters we need credible information, not
emotional rhetoric.
Regards,
Dave Finkelnburg