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=**__Lead (Pb)__**=

by Ashley Weekes and Aurthurline Bowen
=1. Abstract=

//¶ 1 Summarize the background//

Lead has been commonly used for thousands of years because it is widespread, easy to extract and work with. It is highly malleable and ductile as well as easy to smelt. It is used in everyday products that we use today, like paint, televisions, and children’s toys. Lead is used everywhere around the world and the top two lead producing countries in the world are China and the USA.

//¶ 2 Summarize the implications; health, environmental, economic, and political//

Being exposed to high counts of lead can lead to learning disabilities, brain damage, decreased growth, hyperactivity, and impaired hearing and kidney failure, but the system most affected by lead is the nervous system. When lead enters the body it interferes with normal cell function and physiological processes. Some physiological effects of lead include harm done to the peripheral and central nervous system (PNS, CNS). Lead affects the environment by polluting the air, soil, and water streams. Due to oil spills, gas leaks and contamination of the air supply. Lead acts as a toxin to humans, wildlife, and nature.

//¶ 3 What is your position on the chemical, what action, if any, should be taken//

Lead is a cheap resource that is used in everyday products without being completely expensive. Manufactures of certain products depend on the production of lead in order to bring in revenue. Authurline and I believe that lead should be outlawed as far as its production within products that we use everyday. Lead kills people and causes thousands of deaths over young children each year. If this chemical is killing people it shouldn’t be used.

=2. Background=

//How/why we use this chemical//

Lead has been commonly used for thousands of years because it is widespread, easy to extract and easy to work with. It is highly malleable and ductile as well as easy to smelt.

//Specific products it’s in//

Lead is used as projectiles for firearms and fishing sinkers because of its density, low cost compared to alternative products and ease of use due to relatively low melting point.Lead is used in some candles to treat the wick to ensure a longer, more even burn. Because of the dangers, European and North American manufacturers use more expensive alternatives such as zinc. Lead is used in high voltage power cables as sheathing material to prevent water diffusion into insulation.

//What it does (positives)

Lead is used in projectiles for firearms because its density, low cost compared to alternative products and ease of use due to relatively low melting point. Lead helps the flame for candles last longer. Lead prevents water diffusion for power cables.//

//Where it is used (what countries)//

Lead is used around the world. “Top lead producing countries, as of 2008, are Australia, China, USA, Peru, Canada, Mexico, Sweden, Morocco, South Africa and North Korea. Australia, China and the United States account for more than half of primary production.” Lead is banned from being in certain products.

= = =3. Synthesis/Production=

//-How is the chemical made/refined?//

Ores containing little lead are crushed and concentrated by froth flotation. Sulfide ores are roasted producing lead oxide. The lead oxide from the roasting process is reduced into a coke fired blast furnace. That converts the lead to a metallic form. Metallic lead the type of lead that is used in most products.

//-How are common products that contain this chemical made?//

Common products that contain this chemical are made with the metallic lead. Usually products that contain lead are made in factories where they add lead into the content of what they’re producing.

//-Include at least 3 balanced chemical reactions related to the synthesis of the chemical and/or products.//

1. Pb(s) + F2(g) → PbF2(s) [] 2. Pb(s) + Cl2(g) → PbCl2(s) [] 3. 2Pb(s) + O2(g) → 2PbO(s)

//-Include a detailed description of the synthesis process.//

Lead is found in ore with zinc, silver, and (most abundantly) copper, and is extracted with these metals. The main mineral in lead is galena. Other common varieties are cerussite and aglesite.

//-Include a drawing/diagram of the chemical’s structure.//

= = =4. Human health implications=

//-What are the possible dangers associated with this chemical?//

If you are expose to lead for to long period of time you can get a high blood-lead level. Lead poisoning can cause learning disabilities, brain damage, decreased growth, hyperactivity, and impaired hearing and kidney failure.

//-How, specifically, does this chemical affect the body?//

Well once lead enters the body it interferes with normal cell function and physiological processes. Some of the physiological effects of lead include harm done to the peripheral and central nervous system (PNS, CNS), blood cells, metabolism of vitamin D and calcium, and reproductive toxicity. The nervous system so far is the most sensitive to lead poisoning.

//-What human body processes are affected by this chemical?//


 * 1) Nervous system and kidney damage.
 * 2) Learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, and decreased intelligence.
 * 3) Speech, language, and behavior problems.
 * 4) Poor muscle coordination.
 * 5) Decreased muscle and bone growth.
 * 6) Hearing damage.
 * 7) Seizures, unconsciousness, and death.
 * 8) Increased chance of illness during pregnancy.
 * 9) Harm to a fetus, including brain damage or death.
 * 10) Fertility problems (in men and women).
 * 11) High blood pressure.
 * 12) Digestive problems.
 * 13) Nerve disorders.
 * 14) Memory and concentration problems.
 * 15) Muscle and joint pain.

//-What human systems are affected by this chemical? (eg reproductive, endocrine)//

The nervous and the reproductive system seem to be the most sensitive to lead.

//-Include chemical reactions that take place in the body.//

It can enter the human body through uptake of food (65%), water (20%) and air (15%).

=5. Environmental implications=

//-What specific environmental systems/processes does your chemical interact with?//

Lead mainly interacts with soils, plants, surface waters and air. Leads interaction with the environment is due to human activities, such as, the burning of fossil fuels in cars, the application of lead in gasoline and leads exhaust through air admissions. When lead is exposed to the environment in such a way it creates something called lead dust/salt. The lead dust/salt enters the soils, surface waters, and travels long distances through the air and remains in the atmosphere.

//-How does the chemical interact with the environment?//

Lead interacts with the environment by polluting the air, soil, and water streams. Due to oil spills, gas leaks and contamination of the air supply lead acts as a toxin to humans, wildlife, and nature.

//-What happens when this chemical degrades? What byproducts are formed?//

When lead decays it undergoes a number of changes that form isotopes or byproducts of the original chemical. Lead undergoes both, alpha and beta decay at different periods in time until it is stable. http://www.blackcatsystems.com/GM/experiments/ex1.html

//-How long does it take to degrade?//

It depends on the chemical it is interacting with at the time to determine how long it takes to decay.

//-How is it disposed of?//

Lead is often disposed of in huge landfills.

//-Include at least 3 balanced chemical reactions.//

Here's the process: • Radon (Rn222) does an alpha decay into Polonium (Po218) with a half life of 3.824 days. • Polonium (Po218) does an alpha decay into Lead (Pb214) with a half life of 3.05 minutes. • Lead (Pb214) does a beta decay into Bismuth (Bi214) with a half life of 26.8 minutes. • Bismuth (Bi214) does a beta decay into Polonium (Po214) with a half life of 19.8 minutes • Polonium (Po214) does an alpha decay into Lead (Pb210) with a half life of 164 microseconds. • Lead (Pb210) does a beta decay into Bismuth (Bi210) with a half life of 22.3 years. • Bismuth (Bi210) does a beta decay into Polonium (Po210) with a half life of 5.01 days. • Polonium (Po210) does an alpha decay into Lead (Pb206) with a half life of 138.38 days. • Lead (Pb206) is stable. = = =6. Economic/Political Impact=

//-What/who would be affected if the chemical were banned?//

If lead was banned the people and things that would be affected are the manufactures that uses LBP and products from china and other courtiers that are just developing.

//-What are the costs of alternatives?//

The economic growth rate of major consuming countries, global growth and demand in major consuming industries, prices of alternative metals and participation of funds are the cost of alternatives.

//-What products would we not have if it were banned?//

Lead base paints, lead-acid storage batteries, X-ray, some kids toys, clothing, TV, remotes, tubs, Ceramic dishes with lead glaze, lead crystal, leaded glass, some off-brand crayons, some home remedies, and even some candies made outside the US contain extremely high levels of lead.

//-What countries export and/or use this product?//

China (with 23% of world production), followed by the United States (20%), Germany (5%), and the United Kingdom (5%) are the world's largest smelter producers of lead (both primary and secondary) The United States, Japan, China, European Union and India are the major consumers.

//-How would a ban affect you (or the average American)?//

Things would be more expansive because manufactures wont be using lead base products. But my health and the health of American would be better. It would lead to less disability and illness in young children and elderly people.

//-What are the political ramifications of banning this chemical?//

When thousands of children’s products, largely from China, were removed from shelves because of lead content, Congress took action. Their actions is to remove all children’s books printed before 1985 from the shelves of used bookstores and libraries. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), signed into law last August, was intended to address lead content in products intended for children. It will take affect on February 10, children’s products cannot be sold if they contain more than 600 parts per million total lead. According to the guide, sellers of used children’s products aren’t required to test their inventory before selling items but resellers can’t sell products that exceed the limit and unless they have testing or other information to indicate that the products being sold have less than the new limit they could face civil or criminal penalties.

= = =7. Summary=

//Summarize the costs/benefits and draw a conclusion as to what actions if any are necessary.//

Lead threatens the health of humans and the environment. It is a toxic and poisonous chemical that when exposed to the human body can have deadly complications that untimely lead to death. There are multiple systems in the environment, including the life humans that lead can corrupt. Vehicle exhaust and gasoline contain lead and when it’s exposed to the air a significant amount of is absorbed in soil that later accumulates on plants. Which humans and animals feed of as a source of vegetation.

Lead is a cheap, malleable, metal that we use in everyday products. It’s used in batteries, paints, ammunition and other products as well. Lead is still a dangerous chemical when used in these products. Although there are substitutes for lead our government continues to buy out lead products despite its effects on humans and the environment because it is a cheap resource. There are no benefits in lead usage because it harms its consumers.

In order to prevent lead pollution we must control the usage of lead or ban lead from being used within the country. By substituting lead base products with other metals that aren’t as harmful we limit the risk of lead being exposed to the environment and humans.

=8. Public Service Announcement=

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