Lead
hideLead (pronounced /ˈlɛd/) is a main-group element with symbol Pb (Latin: plumbum) and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal, also considered to be one of the heavy metals. Lead has a bluish-white color when freshly cut, but tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed to air. It has a shiny chrome-silver luster when melted into a liquid.
Lead is used in building construction, lead-acid batteries, bullets and shot, weights, and is part of solder, pewter, fusible alloys and radiation shields. Lead has the highest atomic number of all stable elements, although the next element, bismuth, has a half-life so long (longer than the estimated age of the universe) it can be considered stable. Like mercury, another heavy metal, lead is a potent neurotoxin that accumulates in soft tissues and bone over time. Lead poisoning was documented in ancient Rome, Greece, and China.
For more information about Lead, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
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News tagged with lead
Road trains may be coming soon to Europe (w/ Video)
Nov 13, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Road trains linking vehicles together in a traveling convoy are planned for Europe. With only the lead vehicle being actively driven, the road trains would allow commuters to sleep, read a ...
Chronic lead poisoning from urban soils
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Aug 19, 2008 |
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Chronic lead poisoning, caused in part by the ingestion of contaminated dirt, affects hundreds of thousands more children in the United States than the acute lead poisoning associated with imported toys or jewelry. Could ...
FDA: Yes, lots of lipsticks contain lead
Sep 05, 2009 |
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The good news: After a long, tight-lipped silence, the U.S. Federal Drug Administration tested lipsticks for lead -- a move that eco-nonprofit organizations like Campaign for Safe Cosmetics have been calling for years. After ...
Soup can reopens mystery of doomed Franklin Expedition
Dec 15, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Lead levels that are "off the scale" have been confirmed after tests were done this morning on the lid of a soup can dating back more than 150 years. The findings reopen the mystery surrounding ...
Atmospheric lead causes clouds to form more easily, could change pattern of rain and snow
Space & Earth / Earth Sciences
Apr 19, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- By sampling clouds -- and making their own -- researchers have shown for the first time a direct relation between lead in the sky and the formation of ice crystals that foster clouds. The ...
New findings on Mother Earth's earthy scent
Jul 21, 2008 |
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That evocative "earthy" scent of the soil returning to life in spring — and nasty earthy tastes and odors in fish and drinking water — actually results from two substances released by soil bacteria. Researchers in Rhode Island ...
Lead shot and sinkers: Weighty implications for fish and wildlife health
Jul 11, 2008 |
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Millions of pounds of lead used in hunting, fishing and shooting sports wind up in the environment each year and can threaten or kill wildlife, according to a new scientific report.
Researchers find high levels of toxic metals in herbal medicine products sold online
Aug 26, 2008 |
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Boston, MA--Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have found that one fifth of both U.S.-manufactured and Indian-manufactured Ayurvedic medicines purchased via the Internet contain lead, mercury or arsenic. ...
'Tis the season... to beware of lead in Christmas lights
Nov 24, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- With the holiday season approaching, a Cornell environmental analyst has made an illuminating discovery: Many Christmas light sets contain such high levels of lead that they exceed limits ...
Calcium during pregnancy reduces harmful blood lead levels
Sep 09, 2008 |
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Pregnant women who take high levels of daily calcium supplements show a marked reduction in lead levels in their blood, suggesting calcium could play a critical role in reducing fetal and infant exposure.
Workers exposed to lead show more cognitive problems later in life
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Jan 12, 2009 |
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Both the developing brain and the aging brain can suffer from lead exposure. For older people, a buildup of lead from earlier exposure may be enough to result in greater cognitive problems after age 55, according to a follow-up ...
Young adults' blood lead levels linked to depression, panic disorder
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Dec 07, 2009 |
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Young adults with higher blood lead levels appear more likely to have major depression and panic disorders, even if they have exposure to lead levels generally considered safe, according to a report in the December issue ...
Purses, wallets contain excessive amounts of lead, group says
Apr 09, 2009 |
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In its quest to rid consumer products of a potent neurotoxin, an Oakland environmental group on Tuesday warned nearly 20 major retailers and manufacturers that they're selling women's purses, wallets, tote bags and other ...
Med school discovery could lead to better cancer diagnosis, drugs
Nov 21, 2008 |
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A Florida State University College of Medicine research team led by Yanchang Wang has discovered an important new layer of regulation in the cell division cycle, which could lead to a greater understanding of the way cancer ...
2nd lead poisoning case hits China, 1,300 sick
Aug 20, 2009 |
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(AP) -- China detained two factory officials after 1,300 children were poisoned by pollution from a manganese processing plant, state media said Thursday, days after emissions from a lead smelter in another ...
