Lead is a heavy metal that has been known over the years for many applications, from metal products, cables and pipes to paints and pesticides.
It is a chemical element represented with the symbol Pb. Its principal characteristics are that it is a soft and malleable material, as well as it has a relatively low melting point. When freshly cut, lead is silvery with a hint of blue and it tarnishes to a dull gray color when it is exposed to air.
Its high density, low melting point, ductility and relative inertness to oxidation have made it a used material for centuries. These properties, combined with its relative abundance and low cost, resulted in its extensive use in construction, plumbing, batteries, bullets and shot, weights, solders, pewters, fusible alloys, white paints, yellow paint, decorative paint, anticorrosion paint leaded gasoline, and radiation shielding.
Moreover, it is very important to point out that lead paint enters the body through the skin, which is very important to take into account before the beginning of any job of lead removal.
Why is lead a hazardous substance?
Lead is one of the four metals that have the greatest damaging effect on human health. It can enter the human body through food (65%), water (20%), and air (15%). It can also accumulate in individual organisms. In this regard, it is considered an especially dangerous substance because it can be introduced into human food chains.
Exposure to this heavy metal can cause some of the following health effects: nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, constipation headache, muscle pain, insomnia, anaemia, tremors, convulsions, loss of limb control, etc. In addition, lead can generate chronic effects such as hypertension, liver and kidney damage, cancer, and congenital malformations in unborn children and it may cause harm to breastfed children.
Moreover, it is very toxic to aquatic life with long-lasting effects on it.
In the construction sector, lead represents a really important problem. The most common way exposure to lead is through airborne dust that breathes (for rehabilitation actions, material handling, etc.).
Where can lead be found?
This heavy metal can be found all around our environment: the air, the soil, the water, and even inside our homes. Most of our exposure to lead comes from human activities. This includes the use of fossil fuels including past use of leaded gasoline, some types of industrial facilities and past use of lead-based paint in homes.
Lead and its compounds have been used in a wide variety of products found in and around our homes, including paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, soldiers, gasoline, batteries, ammunition and cosmetics.
It may enter the environment from these past and current uses. Lead can also be emitted into the environment from industrial sources and contaminated sites, such as former lead smelters.
When lead is released into the air from industrial sources or spark-ignition engine aircraft, it may travel long distances before settling on the ground, where it usually sticks to soil particles. Lead may move from soil into groundwater depending on the type of lead compound and the characteristics of the soil.
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This article can be found in the 2021 edition of the document. Find the full publication here:
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