Dug the clay from the river (mixed with other clay for the top two), sculpted by hand, used a straw to make the hole, burnished with the back of a spoon, and fired in my BBQ.
Yeah I forgot we live in a toxic waste dump.... Where was this river situated? Downstream to anything man made would make me take a second look.
Depending on the quality of clay, you may have to "wash" it first. Shake it up in water and let it settle
There aren't asbestos deposits in the area to worry much about, and there are frogs around. Always check for frogs when looking for pollutants, if they are around, it's a good sign. Besides, with some of the stuff that gets sold commercially in general, I'm betting it's safer to use than a lot of products on the market meant to be eaten are.
No good clay around here, so I just buy low-fire clay from the local community college ($10). I have several home-made pipes. Just made a "cutesy" dinosaur pipe (think "Land before Time".) I used a balloon to make the body hollow to cool the smoke. (Sorry, my family does not want me posting pics!) Granny