Effects Of Lead Essay

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Lead is a common used element, lead can be found in all parts of our environment, the air, the soil, the water, and even inside our homes. While lead is constantly being used do we ever actually think about the impact it has on the environment, the importance of lead, where is lead from and who discovered the ways we can use it. Lead is a commonly used chemical element, it is a heavy metal but yet denser than most materials we use. On the periotic table lead is assigned under the symbol Pb (Plumbum, meaning liquid silver) and the atomic number of lead is 82. Lead was never formally discovered; it has been around since the ancient times. The color of led color at first comes off as a blue/whitish color when freshly cut and once it is exposed …show more content…

When it comes to the children levels of lead in the body can affect behavior problems, the learning capabilities, growth, hearing problems and anemia. If lead is digested it can cause seizures and in worst-case scenarios of death. Short-term exposure to high levels of lead can cause abdominal pain, and vomiting. Whereas chronic low-level exposure can cause retarded cognitive and intellectual development in children. Infant, young children and fetus are more sensitive to toxic effects of lead, especially in regard to the damages to their central nervous system. The affect that lead has on animals is that it inhibits their ability to synthesize red blood cells. The affect that lead has on plants is that lead pollution coats the surface of the leaf and reduces the amount of light reaching it. This results in stunting the growth or killing the plants by reducing the rate of photosynthesis, inhibiting respiration, encouraging an elongation of plant cells influencing root development. As for the affect on micro- organisms is that lead at the concentrations found near roadsides can wipe out the bacteria and fungi on surfaces and soil, as microorganisms play a huge part in the food

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