Online Facts and Stats

• the toxicity of lead was recognized and recorded as early as 2,000 BC
• the first cases of childhood lead poisoning were described in 1892 at the Brisbane Children's Hospital in Australia; the patients had previously been given a diagnosis of meningitis
• lead is the most widely scattered toxic metal in the world; its distribution in the bio-available form is the result of man's actions
• the heavy metal has a long environmental persistence and never loses its toxic potential if ingested or inhaled
• most lead poisoning occurs slowly over long periods of time; in children, symptoms include behaviour and learning problems as well as slowed growth
• blood levels < 10 µg/L are considered safe in children; treatment becomes necessary at about 40 µg/L
• Health Canada has limited the lead content allowed in paints and surface coatings on toys and other products for children to 600 mg/kg
• lead has several properties that make it commercially attractive; these include the ability to hold pigments well and to stand up to the elements
• many distinguished historians believe that high exposure to lead was a contributing force in the decline of the Roman Empire; since the metal acts as a neurotoxin, this might also explain the strange behaviour of many Roman leaders