Lead: A big polluting agent? (Conclusion @djredimi2)

Lead is a chemical element of the periodic table with the nomenclature is Pb and atomic number 82. It is commonly known as a heavy metal and is in matt gray. It has a density of 11340 kg/m3, is flexible, inelastic, melts at 600.61 K (327.4 °C) and boils at 2022 K (1725 °C). Lead is seldom found in its elemental state. It is commonly presented as lead sulfide in galena (PbS).

How do you get industrial lead?

Metallic lead resulting from kiln and high hurricane kiln processes contains significant amounts of contaminants: arsenic, antimony, bismuth, zinc, copper, silver and gold. The melt is treated in a reverberatory furnace with air, steam and sulfur, which oxidizes pollutants except silver, gold and bismuth. The oxidized contaminants are removed as slag, which floats on the surface and is removed. Since lead ores contain significant concentrations of silver, the molten metal is also generally contaminated with silver. Silver metal as well as gold are extracted and recovered economically through the Parkes process. Displaced lead is released from bismuth according to the Betterton-Kroll process by treatment with metallic calcium and magnesium, which form a bismuth slag that can be removed. Very pure lead can be obtained by electrolytically processing molten lead by the process Of Betts. This process uses pure lead anodes and pure lead cathodes in an electrolyte consisting of a mixture of lead fluorosilicate (PbSiF6) and hexafluorosilicic acid (H2SiF6).

Lead Applications.

The wider use of lead as such is found in the manufacture of accumulators. Other important applications are the manufacture of tetraethyl lead, cable linings, building elements, pigments, soft soldering, ammunition, fishing plumbing and also in manufacturing from toy soldiers to making musical organ pipes.

Nowadays, the main source of lead is the atmosphere, 9 although its content is decreasing thanks to the ban on using leaded gasoline. Lead can enter drinking water through corrosion of pipes. This is more common when the water is slightly acidic. This is why public water treatment systems adjust the pH of drinking water. Lead has no essential function in the human body; this can mainly do harm after being ingested in food, or through air or water.

Effects on the body.

Lead can cause several unwanted effects, such as:
• Disruption of hemoglobin biosynthesis and anemia.
• Increased blood pressure.
• Damage to the kidneys.
• Spontaneous abortion.
• Nervous system disturbance.
• Damage to the brain.
• Decreased male fertility through sperm damage.
• Decreased children's learning abilities.
• Disturbance in the behavior of children, such as aggression, impulsive behavior and hypersensitivity.
• Severe alterations in proprioception, equilibration, nociception and electroception, magnetoception, echolocation in certain animals.
• The formation of plumb line deposits in gums forming a bluish light gray line called "the lead line" or "the Burton line”.

Lead can enter the fetus through the placenta of the mother. Because of this can cause serious damage to the nervous system and the brain of unborn children.
Lead can enter the body if people:
• Hands or other objects covered with lead dust are brought to the mouth.
• Eat paint or soil particles that contain lead.
• They breathe considerable amounts of lead dust.

Lead in the environment:

With respect to its impact on the environment, lead is found naturally in the environment, but the highest concentrations found are the result of human activities.
Lead salts enter the environment through exhaust pipes (mainly defective) of cars, trucks, motorcycles, airplanes, ships and hovercraft and almost all types of motor vehicles that use petroleum products as fuel, Being the particles of greater size that will be retained in the soil and surface waters, causing their accumulation in aquatic and terrestrial organisms, and with the possibility of reaching the man through the food chain. The small particles are suspended in the atmosphere, reaching the ground and water through acid rain.
The accumulation of lead in animals can cause serious health effects from poisoning, and even death from cardio-respiratory arrest. Some organisms, such as crustaceans or other invertebrates, are very sensitive to lead (since lead in excess is deposited in the bones and not possessing them is retained in your body), and in very small concentrations cause them serious mutations. There were cases where the crustacean pups with chronic saturnism had longer limbs, deformities in others and an aggressive and uncoordinated behavior, resulting in self-mutilation and multiple self-lacerations attributed to genetic alterations caused by lead contamination.
Another significant effect of lead in surface waters is that it causes disturbances in phytoplankton, which is an important source of oxygen production in the oceans and food for some aquatic organisms of varying size (from whales to small fish).

ORIGINAL CONCLUSION from @djredimi2.

Lead is another of the elements that constitute the nature that surrounds us. The pollution that causes such, depends on how? the man can use it and where? the man is using it.

At the moment I am a student of the degree of physics and I realize studies in sciences of the materials, where my study material possesses a percentage of Lead.

The big question that for many is controversy is, is it feasible for our environment to use lead?. Although my answer is right, it will provoke more controversy. So, with this Post I would like to know what you think about it, no matter if you are a professional scientist or student, or if you are just an interested reader. Thanks Steemit community.