What is Lead?

Lead is a chemical element. It is a soft, heavy, highly toxic substance of malleable, poor metal. It is bluish white when freshly cut, but tarnishes to dull gray when exposed to air.

Lead is everywhere, easy to obtain and easy to work with.  As a result, it has been used by humans for thousands of years.  Lead is mentioned in the bible, and lead pipes that bear the insignia of Roman emperors are still in service today. Lead is true metal, and because it is highly resistant to corrosion, it is often used to contain corrosive liquids. For example, many industrial acids and radioactive materials are held in lead containers.

Lead was used as a pigment in paint for white as well as yellow and red colors. It was added to also speed drying, increase the durability of the paint, retain a fresh appearance and resist moisture, which causes corrosion.

In 1978, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission banned the residential use of paint containing more than 0.06 percent lead. However, paint with significant lead content is still used in industry and by the military. For example, leaded paint is sometimes used to paint roadways and parking lot lines.

Lead is very dangerous, and in the body, it interferes with normal body functions. It can change the way the blood-forming cells work, alter the way nerve cells signal each other, and lead can disturb or destroy the way the brain makes connections for thinking.

Both adults and children can suffer from the effects of lead poisoning. Workers exposed to high levels of lead are in danger. They need to be very careful to protect themselves from lead fumes and dust. Infants, children, and pregnant women are threatened by even small amounts of lead in their environment.

Too much lead in the body can seriously injure the brain, nervous system, red blood cells, and the kidneys. Higher levels of lead in the body can cause mental retardation, fits (convulsions), falling out (unconsciousness, coma) and even death. In years past, this kind of effect was called lead poisoning. Exposures high enough to cause coma and death are very uncommon today, but they haven't disappeared.

Though lead paint stopped being used on most houses in the mid-1970s, many older homes still have surfaces once painted with lead paint. Young children eat, chew, and suck on lead-painted surfaces they can reach, like window sills and railings. They put jewelry and printed matter that may have lead in their mouths.

Dirt and dust sometimes have lead in them, as do the fumes and dust stirred up during home renovation and while sandblasting lead-painted buildings and bridges.

Older homes and especially deteriorating and poorly kept older homes can be a threat for children. Particular jobs, like welding, radiator repair, making lead batteries, and demolition work can be especially hazardous to workers.

Lead accumulates in our environment. As we keep using more lead, there will be more lead in the environment, and it will accumulate in our bodies, especially children’s bodies.