/oss/taxonomy/term/2612/all en /oss/article/health-toxicity-you-asked/should-we-be-concerned-about-lead-drinking-water <p>The Romans had a sweet tooth, but didn’t know about sugar. So they boiled down grape juice to make a sweet syrup called “sapa” which they added to wine, as well as to various foods. The acidic juices were boiled in lead vessels because experience had shown that this enhanced the sweetness of the product. Of course, the chemical nuances of the procedure were unknown to the Romans, but we now understand that acids can readily leach lead from containers. Indeed, lead acetate is sometimes referred to as “sugar of lead.”</p> Wed, 07 Nov 2012 03:41:59 +0000 Joe Schwarcz PhD 1773 at /oss