|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

Lead Pollutants

Lead has been used in many common products, such as gasoline. After the dangers this element posed to human health became apparent, the government banned its use in some products. Lead affects all systems inside the body and exposure can lead to convulsions, coma or death, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Children are extremely vulnerable to lead exposure, which can result in lower intelligence, increased behavioral problems, and delays in mental and physical development. Still, pollutants expose people to lead each day.

  1. Paint

    • Lead contributes to indoor air pollution. The U.S. EPA warns that old, lead-based paint is the main source of lead pollution in the country, although putting lead in paint was banned in 1978. Sanding or scraping this old paint can result in exposure to lead. Most homes and buildings built prior to 1960 contain lead paint. The Minnesota Pollution Agency identifies dust from lead paint as a primary lead hazard. As the paint deteriorates, it releases lead-laden dust that can be eaten or inhaled.

    Plumbing

    • Lead is a source of drinking water pollution. While lead is rarely found in major water sources, it enters tap water through the corrosion of plumbing fixtures. Many homes, especially those built before 1986, have plumbing systems with lead pipes and fixtures, according to the U.S. EPA. Brass and chrome-plated faucets can leach lead into your drinking water. The EPA warns that even new "lead-free" plumbing systems may contain up to 8 percent of this element. Testing your home's drinking water for this lead is the only way to know whether it's contaminated.

    Soil

    • Some lead occurs in soil naturally. It can also be deposited by other sources, such as gasoline and paint. Once lead enters soil, it disperses very little and remains for a long period of time. High concentrations of lead often accumulate in soil near busy highways -- due to automobile emissions -- or near old buildings where lead-based paint has been stripped, according to University of Minnesota Extension.

      While some leafy vegetables, such as lettuce, and root crops, such as carrots, can absorb lead, most plants do not take in significant amounts of this contaminant. Most of the risk of exposure to lead in soil comes from direct ingestion of contaminated soil or contact with contaminated soil on plants, according to the University of Minnesota Extension. The extension service recommends thorough washing of all produce in water containing 1 percent vinegar, if your garden lies close to a busy highway or street.

    Industrial Sources

    • The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality warns that lead released into the air as suspended particles can be inhaled or ingested. The main pollutants releasing lead into the atmosphere include industrial sources, such as utilities, waste incineration, metals processing, cement manufacturers, lead and copper smelters, glass manufacturers, and iron and steel foundries. While lead has been phased out of automobile gasoline, it is still used in some piston-engine aircraft.

Environmental Health - Related Articles