Lead (Pb)
Lead is a heavy metal that is common in our everyday environment. Historically it has been used in paints, pipes (including connectors/fittings), and gasoline among other places. Today, most industrial uses are limited to lead-acid batteries, a growing market.
Lead is known toxin. There are no safe levels of lead for humans; any amount is a bad amount.
Health effects range from mild health irritations and decreased fertility at low amounts, lower IQ and emotional/behavioral issues in milder amounts, and seizures, coma, and even death at higher amounts.
Top exposure pathways (aka: sources of lead) include:
- Paint
- Soil
- Dust, created by soil or paint
- Water / Plumbing
Lead may be in toys, cosmetics, food containers, and other places, but the above are the top 4 pathways. Paint is generally recognized as the primary source of lead. People talk quite a bit about lead in water, in part because of the crisis in Flint Michigan. Soil is a pathway that gets less attention; however, there is growing evidence that soil -- and in particular the dust that gets kicked up -- is a significant source of lead.
How to test for lead in your home or community
Test it yourself: Buy a product off the shelf - pros: This is probably the quickest path to testing. - cons: The results may not be reliable.
Test it yourself: DIY / Hacker methods - pros: Good for citizen scientists and teachers. - cons: Actually these don’t exist yet :( Help us create them!
Get a professional to do it - pros: Gets the most reliable results. - cons: can be slow/annoying if you’re working with your local gov’t or expensive if you’re paying a private company)
Partner with a local college / university - pros: Can be low-cost, allow for bulk testing, and help build important relationships - cons: Takes time to build relationships
Use a mail-in service - pros: Uses reliable testing methods done by professionals - cons: May not be as fast as testing yourself, costs money
Science / Regulations + Addressing the Issue
- List of Methods for Lead Detection & Monitoring
- Regulatory overview: What gov’t agencies are involved with this issue? (TBD)
- The Lead Data Initiative - A Public Lab effort..
Research Notes on PublicLab.org Related to this Topic
Questions posted on PublicLab.org Related to this Topic
| Title | Author | Updated | Likes | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Using UVC or "deep UV" light to detect lead by fluorescence | @warren | over 2 years ago | 0 | 14 |
| Seeking Info re Commercial Low-cost Lead Screening Products | @read_holman | over 5 years ago | 1 | 8 |
| Anyone have experience with diy soil testing methods for contaminants- Colorimetry, spectometry, reagents, etc? | @DanielleS | almost 6 years ago | 0 | 1 |
| Anyone working on environmental lead exposure / poisoning? | @read_holman | over 6 years ago | 1 | 17 |
| Looking for ideas on filtering metals, arsenic, and/or bacteria from water? | @stevie | over 6 years ago | 2 | 4 |