Lethal lead
Share
Lethal lead
https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/lethal-lead
The trouble with lead is that the body welcomes it. Lead binds to red blood cells which take it to every organ, where it proceeds to do damage. The main effect is on the brain, where it causes behavioural and developmental problems and may be linked to schizophrenia.
All this has been known from the start. The Romans knew about lead poisoning, and the details of its metabolic effects was being studied in the early 20th-century. Lead petrol, though, wasn’t fully banned in the UK until 1999, and it is still in use in some countries.
You've reached your limit of free articles this month. Subscribe for £1 per month for three months and get: