Important Lead Information You Should Know

Definition and Word Origin: Lead (Pb) is a chemical element with soft, malleable, and heavy post-transition metal characteristics. It belongs to the carbon group with a symbol of Pb and an atomic number of 82. When the metal is exposed to air, metallic Pb changes its color from bluish-white to dull gray.

When it is melted into liquid, Pb becomes shiny with a silvery color. Among the non-radioactive elements, Pb is the heaviest. This element has four (4) stable isotopes.  These isotopes have 82 protons. Pb has the highest atomic number among all the other elements that are stable.

Its name came from the Greek word protos which means “first”. While its symbol came from the Latin word plumbum.

Pb and the Health of Organisms:  Pb is rare in the environment but its many uses and applications have benefitted man since 5000 B.C. This element is commonly used for application in metal products, pipelines, cables, pesticides and paints.

However, it is also one of the chemical elements which bring harm to human’s health. The following levels of ingestion are considered harmful:  20% in water, 15% in the air, and 65% in food. 

This heavy metal can be found in the following:

• Dust

• Soil

• Mini-blinds

• Consumer products

• Ceramics

• Jewelries

• Toys

Food sources of the element Pb:

• Vegetables

• Meat

• Fruit

• Soft drink

• Wine

• Grains

• Seafood

These foods mentioned above may contain significant amounts of Pb that may or may not affect people’s health. Small amounts of Pb can also be found in smoking cigarettes. Various health issues Pb may give people are: kidney damage and failure, miscarriage, brain damage, subtle abortions, sperm damage for men, rise in blood pressure, aggression, impulse behavior and hyperactivity in children.

Possible Ways to be exposed to Pb (Symptoms of Exposure to Pb): Everyone can be exposed to Pb through ingestion and inhalation. People may get Pb through foods that may contain the metal which might come from soil or water.  Pb dust which people may inhale can also be one the causes of exposure to this element. Anyone may also get Pb from other stuff such as dust, contaminated water, paint, and soil.

What to Do If Exposed?
People who are experiencing the following symptoms shall consult their doctor immediately.  They might have been exposed to high levels of Pb and might be at risk of toxicity: 

• Fatigue

• Loss of appetite

• Irritability

• Insomnia

• Stomach discomfort (Constipation)

Failure to treat lead (Pb) poisoning may result to long-term or lifetime health damages.

Basic Properties and Information:
Symbol of the element: Pb
Number of Protons and Electrons: 82
Number of Neutrons: 125
Atomic Number: 82
Atomic Mass: 207.2 amu
Melting Point: 327.5 degrees Celsius (600.65 K, 621.5 °F)
Boiling Point: 1740.0 degrees Celsius (2013.15 K, 3164.0 °F)
Classification: Other metals or Post-transition metals
Crystal Structure: Cubic
Color: Bluish
Density (at 293 Kelvin): 11.34 grams per cubic centimeter
Discoverer: Unknown

History and Discoveries: This element is a silvery metal with a small touch of blue.  When it is exposed to air, it begins to tarnish by creating a complex combination of compounds. Below are the element’s properties:

• High density

• Softness

• Ductility

• Malleability

• Poor conductor of electricity

• High resistance to corrosion

• Ability to react with organic chemicals

When a small amount of either copper or antimony is added to Pb, it increases the alloy’s hardness and improves its resistance to corrosion to sulfuric acid. Some elements such as tellurium, tin, and cadmium also improve hardness like Pb. This metal reaches its melting point at 327.5 degrees Celsius (600.65 K, 621.5 °F).

This heavy metal belongs to the post-transition metal and is also a member of the carbon group. At room temperature, fluorine reacts with the metal forming Pb (II) Fluoride; chlorine also reacts the similar way (though it needs heating).

Pb was widely used thousands of years ago because of the ease of extraction and convenience of use.  This element was found in an ancient city of Çatalhöyük (now Turkey). It was used with antimony and copper during the Bronze Age.

The Roman economy was the largest preindustrial producer of Pb with an annual production of 80,000 tons. Mining activities were done in Central Europe including Greece, the Balkans, Asia Minor, Roman Britain, and Hispania.  All these accounted for 40% of the world’s Pb production.

The Romans also utilized this heavy metal (in molten form). Pb was thought to be the oldest metal among all other metals. Alchemists associated this metal with the planet Saturn and used its symbol (the scythe, ♄) when referring to this heavy metal.

Until the 17th century, there were difficulties in distinguishing tin from Pb. From then, Pb was called “plumbum nigrum” which literally meant “black plumbum” and tin was called “plumbum candidum” meaning “bright plumbum.”

This element’s symbol, the Pb, came from the Latin word plumbum to refer to it. Other English words such as plumber, plumb, and plumbing also originated from the Latin word mentioned above.

By 1600s, Pb production in the U.S. begun by Indians in The Southeast Missouri Lead District, (commonly called the Lead Belt). It is a lead (Pb) mining district in the southern part of the Missouri. 

Pb’s occurrence in nature is evident but is rare. It is found in solar atmosphere and more abundantly in the atmosphere of some extreme horizontal branch stars. This heavy metal can commonly be found in the ores of copper (most abundant extraction), zinc, and silver. The main Pb mineral is galena – (PbS) which contains more than 86% plumbum.

The world’s production and consumption of Pb is increasing continuously with a total annual production of 8 million tons. The top 5 Pb producing countries as of 2008 are: Australia, Sweden, Peru, China and United States of America. In 2010, 9.6 million tons was produced, of which 4.1 million tons came from mining.

[The information contained in this article is believed to be reliable. I have taken every precaution to verify its accuracy; I am not a medical professional and make no warranties, representations or guarantees of any kind as to its accuracy. Medical knowledge is in a constant state of change, and what I have written here may be out of date by the time you read it. The information that I have provided here is for informational purposes only and not for use in diagnosing any condition that you may or may not have. Always consult with you doctor before treating yourself.]