WHY LEAD RECYCLING?
Lead is a bluish-white lustrous metal. It is very soft, highly malleable, ductile, and a relatively poor conductor of electricity. It is very resistant to corrosion but tarnishes upon exposure to air.
Lead is a naturally occurring toxic metal found in the Earth’s crust. Its widespread use has resulted in extensive environmental contamination, human exposure and significant public health problems in many parts of the world.
Lead isotopes are the end products of each of the three series of naturally occurring radioactive elements.
Environmental effects of lead
Lead can end up in water and soils via corrosion of leaded pipelines in water transporting procedure and through corrosion of leaded paints. It cannot be broken down; it can only be converted to other forms.
Lead accumulates in the bodies of water organisms and soil organisms. These will experience health effects from lead poisoning. Health effects on shellfish can take place even when only very small concentrations of lead are present. Body functions of phytoplankton can be disturbed when lead interferes. Phytoplankton is an important source of oxygen production in seas and many larger sea-animals consume it. That is why we now start to wonder whether lead pollution can influence worldwide balances.
Economic Benefits of Lead Recycling
Recycling lead creates 40 times more jobs than sending the same amount of metal waste to the incinerator, and six times more than sending the metal to a landfill