Lead also has great resistance to different weather conditions. Unfortunately, lead and lead compounds are toxic and can present a severe hazard to those who are overexposed to them. Whether ingested or inhaled, lead is readily absorbed and distributed throughout the body. Historically, lead has been used in a variety of applications because of its aesthetic beauty, unique properties and durability. Lead is widespread in the environment, and people absorb lead from a variety of sources every day.
Food is the greatest single source of lead for the average adult.
In the past few years, federal controls on lead in gasoline and from industrial air emissions have significantly reduced total human exposure to lead. Lead absorbed by the lungs and the digestive tract from all sources enters the bloodstream, where it distributes to all tissues of the body. Excessive levels of lead can damage the brain, kidneys, nervous system, red blood cells and reproductive system. Known effects of exposure to lead range from subtle changes in body chemistry and nervous system function at low levels of exposure, to severe toxic effects or even death at very high levels associated with acute poisoning. Some harmful effects are reversible if exposure is reduced, while other harmful effects can be permanent.