Lead And Synthesis Essay

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Lead is a heavy, low melting, bluish-gray metal that is found naturally in the Earth's crust.Before 3000 B.C. the Egyptians used lead in glaze pottery while ancient romans used this metal for two purposes:
• To join the water pipes
• To flavor wines and food (
Though, it is scarcely found naturally as a metal but combined with two or moreother elements to form lead compounds mainly in the ores Galena (PbS), Cerussite(PbCO3), and Anglesite(PbSO4) (Infoplease, 2012).
Metallic lead is resilient to corrosion thatit cannot be easily attacked by air or water. A thin film is formed whenexposed toair or water that shields the metal from more attack.Lead can easily be molded and shaped and can be combined with other metals to form alloys. The metal …show more content…

It is a cumulative toxicant that damages neurological, hematological, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and renal systems. When exposed to lead, neurotoxic effects have been observed particularly in children and even low levels of exposure can cause severe and, in some cases, permanent neurological damage. About 0.6% of the diseases around the world are due to the lead exposure and this rate is highest in developing regions. Albeit there is low level of lead found in blood due to the diminutions in the use of this metal in products in recent years. Still the significant sources of lead are there especially in developing countries. Thus efforts are required in the reduction of use and release of lead so that environmental and occupational hazards can be avoided (WHO, …show more content…

The workers that work in industries are at high risk level of exposure of lead during the grinding, welding and cutting of materials painted with lead-containingpaints. Mining, smelting, and informal processing andrecycling of electric and electronic waste can also be significant sources of exposure. Leadhas been used widely in the form of tetraethyl and tetramethyl lead as antiknock andlubricating agents in petrol.
II. Food and smoking
Smokers have a high content of lead. On the other hand, non-smokers intake lead from dust, dirt and food. The soil present near mines and smelters have high concentration of lead and thus food plants that grow in such type of soil has automatically high levels of lead. The plants may include cereals like rice, wheat etc. and spices may be polluted or coated with lead. The usage of cans that are made of lead are also the source of this metal in food and beverages. As acidic media dissolves a large amount of lead easily so the alcoholic drinks have very high levels of lead in them.
III.

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