Although lead has been phased out of many of its previous uses, this non-corrosive metal is actually quite useful in products that hold or touch highly acidic substances. For example, lead is used to line tanks that hold corrosive liquids, such as sulfuric acid. It is also used in lead-acid storage batteries, such as those found in automobiles.
Because of its density and ability to absorb vibration, lead also makes an excellent shield against different types of harmful radiation, such as those found in X-ray machines and nuclear reactors, according to Jefferson Lab. Lead is also still used in some bullets and ammunition. Tetraethyl lead was added to gasoline in the s to help reduce engine knocking, wear and tear and pre-ignition. Almost immediately, industry workers started to become extremely ill and some even died.
At Dupont's manufacturing plant in New Jersey, it was particularly bad — eight workers died between and Finally, after 44 workers at Standard Oil's plant had been hospitalized, public awareness and outcry finally began to gather steam, according to Chemistry LibreTexts. Although the U. Public Health Service held a conference in , lead was ultimately allowed to remain in gasoline for decades in spite of all the damage it was causing.
It wasn't until the late s that leaded gasoline started to get phased out. Greta is a yellow powder. They are used to treat an upset stomach. Pay-loo-ah also contains lead. It is a red powder used to treat a rash or a fever.
Some cosmetics such as Kohl Alkohl and Surma also contain lead. Ayurveda is a traditional form of medicine practiced in India and other eastern Asian countries. Ayurvedic medications may contain herbs, minerals, metals, or animal products. These medicines may come in both standardized and non-standardized formulations. Ayurvedic medications are typically imported into the United States by both practitioners and followers of Ayurvedic medicine. Lead has been found in inexpensive children's jewelry sold in vending machines and large volume discount stores across the country.
It also has been found in inexpensive metal amulets worn for good luck or protection. Some costume jewelry designed for adults has also been found to contain lead. It is important to make sure that children don't handle or mouth any jewelry. People exposed to lead at work may bring lead home on their clothes, shoes, hair, or skin. Some jobs that expose people to lead include: home improvement; painting and refinishing; car or radiator repair; plumbing; construction; welding and cutting; electronics; municipal waste incineration; lead compound manufacturing; manufacturing of rubber products, batteries, and plastics; lead smelting and refining; working in brass or bronze foundries; demolition; and working with scrap metal.
Some hobbies also use lead. These hobbies include making pottery, stained glass, or refinishing furniture. Hunters who make their own bullets or anglers who make their own fishing sinkers can be exposed to lead fumes if they don't follow good practices see www. Fishing tackle especially sinkers and jig heads often contains lead. It important to keep all lead objects away from children. Wash hands with soap and water after holding or using lead sinkers and jig heads or reloading lead bullets or shot.
Never bite down on lead sinkers. Lead may get into foods or liquids that have been stored in ceramics, pottery, china, or crystal with lead in it. JavaScript appears to be disabled on this computer.
Please click here to see any active alerts. Read more about lead in this CDC informational graphic. While it has some beneficial uses, it can be toxic to humans and animals, causing health effects. Lead can be found in all parts of our environment — the air, the soil, the water, and even inside our homes. Much of our exposure comes from human activities including 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 lead compounds have been used in a wide variety of products found in and around our homes, including paint, ceramics, pipes and plumbing materials, solders, gasoline, batteries, ammunition and cosmetics. Lead 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. Primary prevention should be the focus of policy on childhood lead toxicity. Lead-contaminated household dust is considered the major high-dose source of lead for children in the United States today [AAP ; Lanphear et al. Much of this is due to the degradation of interior paint, especially in housing built before Household paint manufactured today may still contain very small amounts of lead.
In addition to degradation of interior paint, lead may be tracked into homes in significant quantities from exterior soil contaminated by historical use of lead in. The number of existing U.
Despite the gradual decline in the number of houses containing higher lead content paint, however, it still poses a risk to the millions of children living in these homes. Lead occurs in drinking water through leaching from lead-containing pipes, faucets, and solder frequently found in the plumbing of older buildings. Other potential sources of lead contamination include [EPA a; Mushak et al. Lead in water has not been identified as the major problem with lead in the United States.
However, some areas of the country may have a serious problem with lead contamination in the drinking water distribution system. Even when lead is not intentionally used in a product, it may contaminate items such as food, water, or alcoholic drinks, such as moonshine whiskey [CDC ; Warren and Vaughan ]. Lead may contaminate food during. Storage Food or beverages may be stored in lead-containing vessels that contaminate the product. While lead is prohibited from many products in the United States, imported or pre-regulation products may still pose a risk.
Some people can be exposed to lead using certain imported home remedies or cosmetics [CDC c]. Several examples are listed below. These remedies are also known as. Lead is ubiquitous in the environment because of widespread human use.
Environmental background levels vary depending on historic and ongoing uses in the area. The past use of lead in gasoline has contaminated soils, especially along roadways. Active and passive smoking second-hand smoke is associated with increased BLLs in U. Third-hand smoke surface residue from tobacco cigarette smoke is a new health concern [Ferrante et al. There is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure; even brief exposure can be harmful to health.
Lead dust concentrations, usually ingested during hand to mouth activity, do not appear to mediate this association, suggesting inhalation as a major pathway of exposure from SHS [Apostolou et al.
Second-hand smoke is associated with increased blood lead levels in U. A representative sample of 5, U. Third-hand smoke THS is the residue from tobacco smoke, which remains on just about every surface exposed to that smoke and may build up over time. This residue poses an additional exposure risk, especially in infants and children, that may impact BLLs. Children and infants have an increased exposure risk to tobacco THS than adults because they typically spend more time indoors and have age-specific behaviors such as mouthing.
This increased exposure risk may increase their risk of potential health hazards from exposure to THS [Ferrante et al. However, more studies are needed to support an association between third-hand smoke exposure and increased BLLs in children. The major exposure pathways for workers are inhalation and ingestion of lead-bearing dust and fumes.
Workers in the lead smelting, refining, and manufacturing industries experience the highest and most prolonged occupational exposures to lead [ATSDR ].
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