Are gringott's mixes toxic?

[Matthew W2]

Ummm, I think I should have asked this sooner, but I have been using a frying pan (uncoated) on the stove to boil up solutions of gringott's mixes (conservator and #2).

I just washed the frying pan (which had a residue of sorts on it) with a sponge in the kitchen sink...  Should I not have done that?

Should I try to clean this better and/or also use a new sponge for cleaning dishes?

On a related note, should I wear gloves when removing the coins from the solution? I've just been dipping my hands in after the water cools, and haven't noticed any problems, but should probably be a little less cavalier about safety issues!

Are these mixes at all toxic?

Thanks for any advice or thoughts!

[larry c]

I’ll leave it to Bruce to comment on the toxicity of gringotts, but I would not use the same pot or scrubbers in a food prep area and dispose of solutions as if they are hazardous. The ancients had no quality control over their smelting process.
Adding a lump of lead or arsenic was just a way to stretch their budget for coin metal.

[Matthew W2]

Good point - thanks for the response!

i think I will replace the sponge and retire the frying pan to be dedicated to coins then.

[slokind]

But as for the 'Gringott's', I don't think it's any worse than mixing washing soda with bicarbonate of soda, so traces left from a mere solution of it should be harmless (though I, too, keep my coin 'dishes' separate from the kitchen china and cutlery), and if all the lead and trace metals your family ever got was what they got from residual traces of them in a soda solution...  Frankly, I wouldn't be very anxious.
I do not recommend bicarb for its taste, and don't let the kids put washing soda for sugar on their cereal, and the stronger grades of Gringotts probably should not be used for tooth powder, but...
Pat L.

[James Anderson]

I use an inexpensive stainless steel pan which I don't use for anything else. Jim A

[Matthew W2]

But as for the 'Gringott's', I don't think it's any worse than mixing washing soda with bicarbonate of soda, so traces left from a mere solution of it should be harmless (though I, too, keep my coin 'dishes' separate from the kitchen china and cutlery), and if all the lead and trace metals your family ever got was what they got from residual traces of them in a soda solution...  Frankly, I wouldn't be very anxious.
I do not recommend bicarb for its taste, and don't let the kids put washing soda for sugar on their cereal, and the stronger grades of Gringotts probably should not be used for tooth powder, but...
Pat L.

That is a relief! Luckily, in a not-totally-unexpected win for procrastination, I hadn't tried yet to use the dishes for anything else, so this hadn't really been an issue yet, but I am relieved that it may not be much of one in any case.

Still, I think I will err on the side of caution, and not make soup out of it

[bruce61813]

Sorry about the delay in replying to this topic. Always assume that any chemical is toxic, that is the first rule in chemistry.

Yes, Gringgotts should be considered as toxic , all versions have a small amount of TSP [tri-sodium phosphate], and on it's own. sodium Carbonate is not for internal use. It states that on the box. But having said that, it is not a hazard to handle, and rinses from dishes or other containers easily, as it tends to soften water and make soap more efficient. It also helps clean drains.

Gringgotts products are a very strong base, and do not react with copper, bronze or silver; it will soften oxides, but on bronze it tends to darken the oxide patina, a form of copper carbonate. The green copper oxide may be affected, and copper chloride [the dreaded bronze disease] does dissolve in base solutions. 


Bruce

[Matthew W2]

Sorry about the delay in replying to this topic. Always assume that any chemical is toxic, that is the first rule in chemistry.

Yes, Gringgotts should be considered as toxic , all versions have a small amount of TSP [tri-sodium phosphate], and on it's own. sodium Carbonate is not for internal use. It states that on the box. But having said that, it is not a hazard to handle, and rinses from dishes or other containers easily, as it tends to soften water and make soap more efficient. It also helps clean drains.

Gringgotts products are a very strong base, and do not react with copper, bronze or silver; it will soften oxides, but on bronze it tends to darken the oxide patina, a form of copper carbonate. The green copper oxide may be affected, and copper chloride [the dreaded bronze disease] does dissolve in base solutions. 


Bruce

Thank you for the response and information, this is a great clarification for me!

The Gringott's I bought was just in a plastic bag, with no indication of the ingredients, but also no indications of a hazard (though I shouldn't have so blithely assumed it was safe to handle...). I wasn't sure if it was in the same category as dishwasher detergent (which I wouldn't eat, but would handle, though not often or just for kicks) or perhaps contained something that might leave an unpleasant residue, though this didn't occur to me until it was too late...

I tend to procrastinate at the drop of a hat, so I haven't touched it for awhile.... so even a delayed response is never too late!