Health

Even low lead levels in children negatively affect test scores

A decrease in the average level of lead in a preschooler's blood reduces the probability of that child being substantially below proficient in reading by the third grade, a new National Bureau of Economics Research working ...

Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes

Waist not weight—the key to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

A new study presented today demonstrates that a build-up of fat around the waist can cause more serious complications than obesity in the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The study was presented at ...

Health

Lead poisoning a risk at indoor firing ranges

Indoor firing ranges may put hobby shooters, law enforcement officers and employees at risk from lead exposure, particularly if proper dust-control measures are not in place.

Health

Blood lead levels in Haiti 'a warning for other countries'

Blood lead levels among the population of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince are on average five times higher than in the United States, say researchers, highlighting the urgent need to address the problem in developing countries ...

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Lead

Lead (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.

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