Minerals Council of Australia - Mineral Fact Sheets LEAD LEAD Introduction . In deposits mined today, lead is usually found in ore also containing zinc, silver and commonly copper, and is extracted as a co-product of these metals. More than half of the lead consumed today comes from recycling, rather than mining. Lead's malleability and ease of smelting accounted for its early use in pipes and lead sheeting for construction purposes.
Most lead today is used in batteries for motor vehicles and communications.
The effect of lead mining on the environment and the use of toxic lead compounds have been markedly reduced over the past twenty years. Lead in petrol is being progressively reduced in many countries and lead compounds in paints have been replaced with non-toxic titanium compounds. These fluids may be trapped below the surface in cracks where galena and other minerals may precipitate to make vein deposits. If limestones are present, the fluids may fill cavities to form rich but patchy deposits. Some fluids may reach the ocean floor in areas of underwater volcanic activity to form 'volcanogenic' deposits.