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[Clansgian AT wmconnect.com]

> 
> >I think when I was a kid we had "unbreakable" dishes made 
> 

Melanine doesn't occur in nature and was first sythesized in the 1830's or 
there abouts.

It has been used as a fertilizer and cattle feed.  By itself it is not very 
toxic, about the same potential for poisoning you as salt (that is, you have 
to 
eat a lot of it).  Chmeically combined with a variety of things, it is very 
toxic.  I remember being vaguely aware at one time what common acids and 
combined with melamine that made it coagulate (as it were) in the kidneys and 
cause 
irreversable kidny failure.  But if I guessed I'd be sure to get it wrong, 
but 
it's something like that.

If you combine melamine with formadehyde you get melamine resin which is what 
all those dishes are made of.  It's completely harmless.


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